


Sunray Weaver

by Jynxtaposition, Tooth



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: AUcest, Bara Sans, Character Death, Combat, Ecto-tummy, Fell-ish Papyrus, Fluff and Smut and Adventure, NSFW tagged per chapter, Near Death, Original Characters - Freeform, Other, Roleplay Logs, Size Difference, Smol Skeleton, Soul stuff, Unnamed Alternate Universe(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-28
Updated: 2018-07-20
Packaged: 2018-08-27 12:01:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 68
Words: 248,904
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8400925
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jynxtaposition/pseuds/Jynxtaposition, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tooth/pseuds/Tooth
Summary: Life was good on the Isle of Monsters, which leaves a small skeletal judge at a disadvantage when he wakes in the large and dangerous Void. With no knowledge of the Void or other universes at all, he has to rely on the kindness of strangers to survive. But the Void is full of strange kinds indeed. Perhaps they are in need of his help as much as he needs theirs.The first being a huge version of a certain familiar blue parka wearing skeleton. Joining them is another familiar tall, thin, and pointy skeleton, and even an old yellow lizard.https://yarnusthegreat.tumblr.com/  (All Ages)https://discord.gg/jW3NYyN  (18+ only please)





	1. Not in Caledonia anymore...

When you wake up, the first thing you notice is the flickering, coming even through your closed eyelids. You sit up, looking around in confusion. It... looks like your room, but it definitely isn't. Something is very wrong here.  
The whole place is dark and gray, the only colour being your own. The door is boarded up with planks of wood, on the wall opposite the door is a big square of static, flickering into the darkness with a silent crackle. Your window has blinds, although it never had blinds before as far as you can remember. Everything looks eerie and otherworldly. But the strangest thing has to be a huge number of identical hammers spread around the floor. All of them seem a tad bigger than they should be and there must be at least a hundred or two. 

Yarnus scans the room for any movement before attempting to maneuver around the hammers. The surrealness and the static makes his head hurt so he moves to the window to open it for some fresh air. 

The hammers make a silent metallic clicks when you cross over them.  
You unroll the never before present blinds and open the window... only to recoil back in shock.  
There's nothing outside, only darkness. Looking up and down you see... that the space loops? Though most of it disappears in the darkness, you could swear you see yourself far up and far down, always facing away, with the same position you lean out the window. A deep hum echoes in the black void, making your periosteum crawl. You notice an ever present faint smell of old paper and petroleum coming in from the outside. 

Yarnus sockets dim for a moment before deciding that window would be best left shut. "Well that explains why the door is boarded up" he says to himself after the window is securely closed. Turning he examines the door, the hammers, and the static in turn. Thinking for a bit he picks up one of the hammers and weighs it in his hand before gently lobbing it in the direction of the static like a sack-toss game. A second thought later he shifts to the side incase of rebounding. 

The hammer goes through the static and disappears, making little waves on the static like on water surface. Nothing else happens. 

He waits for a while before letting out a deep sigh. The thought of walking into some weird static portal crosses his mind and is placed in the back. He re-inspects the boarded door, trying to see through the cracks around the door and sniffing. 

You're filled with hope when you manage to catch a glimpse of light from behind the door. Sticking your face as close to the crack as you can you inhale and your skull is filled with a pleasant smell that you can't really name. Smells sorta like... strawberries in a baked good. Sorta.  
In any way, it seems that whatever is behind the door is better than here. 

Yarnus contemplates the meaning of the hammers. Whoever's room this is may have been trying to send some sort of message with them. If the portal, what he's convinced is a static-y portal, was a one-way trip, then whoever made it wasn't able to come back to remove the boards themselves....but then how'd the hammers come this way? Before he could get a headache thinking about that conundrum the want of food made up his mind to start to remove the boards of the door. 

You grab onto the closest plank and begin to tear it off. It's a slow and tiring process, but you’re getting there, slowly but surely. You use a hammer as a wedge a few times, slowly getting closer and closer to opening the door, already thinking up what-  
You flinch in shock when a metallic thump rings out into the room from behind you. You turn around at the speed of light, staring at the floor. The hammer you threw into the static portal has returned. You don't know if that's how the static door works or if... somebody threw it back in from the other side.  
There's only one plank remaining on the door now. 

His eyes dart from the door to the hammer and back before a growl of frustration courses through his body. Having to make decisions without knowing all the facts grinds at the very core of his being. His face would have a yellow blush that no one would notice as he gets angry that his hunger almost made him make a possibly wrong choice. Thinking of testing the static again he would go to rummage in the desk for some paper and then head-desk at his oversight for not thinking of this first. "Heh. I guess I'm just not a morning person," he mumbles to himself. 

You open the first of three drawers. There's a few pencils with teeth marks on them rolling up as you do, filling the room with wooden clacking. Even if chewed up a bit, they are usable.  
The second drawer has a huge amount of paper in it. Incredible amount of paper. Impossible amount of paper. The moment you open it it puffs out and just continues to do so until you finally manage to forcefully close the drawer, leaving outside more than enough paper to use.  
You have all you need, but just out of curiosity you open the last drawer. Two tin cans roll up. Intrigued, you take them out to read the labels. One is labeled "Peas". The other... "Rope"? 

After the experience of the paper, Yarnus eyes the can-o-rope wearily. He gently places the two cans on top of the desk followed by some of the previously unruly paper. He collects his thoughts for a while before starting to write;  
_Dear Sir, Madame, or Other Entity;_  
_It seems I may have found myself in your domain by some strange twist of fate. Please accept my apologies for the intrusion, but I do believe I may need your assistance to remove myself. I do not understand my situation, nor the massive amount of hammers that seem to cover the floor._  
_I await your response._  
_Signed,_  
_Yarnus the Great Justicar._  
The handwriting is neatly printed and he looks proudly at it after blowing off the graphite dust. Placing an empty sheet of paper over it he grabs one of the hammers and rolls the papers around the shaft before attaching it with homemade twine made from a sheet of the copious paper. He tosses this into the static and waits while examining the can of peas. 

The idea of the peas in the can seems appetizing to you. Too bad you don't have a can opener.  
You sit on the bed, waiting. Nothing happens for a long time. You stare at the static door, then down at your feet. Eventually you get up and kick some hammers around to clear the room a bit.  
As you stop for a moment, you pick up on a sound. You didn't hear it over the hammers but now that you hear it... holy shit does it terrify you. It sounds like muffled radio voices talking over one another. And it's coming closer...  


Yarnus quickly grabs one of the hammers to defend himself and backs up to the door. The sound makes his bones shake uncontrollably for a while before he can calm himself down. "I don't have all the facts" he speaks to himself to help ground him in reality. "It's just static, it might be normal of the other side. The door WAS barred from the inside, not the outside...not that I know of..." He inhales deeply. "If something was dangerous on the other side of the door, it would have made itself known by now. This could all just be one big misunderstanding." He puffs out his chest and stands tall, "I AM YARNUS, THE GREAT JUSTICIAR! AND I SHALL HEAR YOU!" he directs his voice to the static. 

It all goes silent for a second. Then it comes, back, louder, closer.  
From the static wall slowly emerges a being that makes your knees shake. A mass of multicolored goop, faintly resembling you and what looks like... other versions of you. About a dozen of heads clings onto one body. Long, grotesque, misshapen arms stick out at the sides, twitching, reaching around and grasping onto the surroundings as if trying to keep on its feet. You can't even see its legs over the pulsing goop dripping down its body.  
It focuses all of its misshapen eyeholes at you, it's irises shifting like oil rings on a water surface. The moment it spots you the terrible sounds stops again, all of it's jaws closing with a click. It stares you down, holding onto the table and the edges of the static door. You stare back, not knowing what to do, holding the hammer in front of you in a futile attempt to look imposing.  
You flinch with a pathetic whimper when it lifts its long crooked arm. It holds the hammer and the note you threw in, then tilts all its heads in question.  
Suddenly, it doesn't seem so dangerous. Especially since you're sure that if it wanted to it would've attacked you already. It just stares at you, awaiting an answer. 

His own mouth drops at the sight of the amalgamate. He had been the judge for the former Royal Scientist when they had been discovered in his world. But something about staring at one that shares your own face is disturbing enough to leave him speechless for a good moment. "I-I see y-you got my m-message.", he couldn't help but stutter as globs of goopy flesh drip off of the creature and reform. He lowers the hammer and lets it fall to the ground. 

The amalgam blinks with all of its eyes at the same time, making a disturbing clicking sound. It turns around until it spots the pile of papers, reaching in and smacking them onto the table. It pulls the top drawer right out, getting a pencil. You just stare as it begins to write.  
After a moment it picks up the papers and presents them to you. In a squiggly and almost illegible lettering, a simple question is written for you.  
"YOU NEED LEAVE?" 

"Well this isn't my room," he gestures around. "And I'm pretty sure that wherever I am right now is nowhere near my home." Yarnus looks towards the door, "I'm not even sure that I'd be safe or welcome to stay here." 

The heads follow your movements curiously. After you finish talking they stare at you for a while, in silence. You begin to get nervous again, then suddenly it raises its arms towards you. You flinch and step back, but they don't care for you. They grab onto the door and before you know it they tear it out off its hinges like it's nothing.  
The gentle light from outside shines in as the warm pleasant smell blows right in your face. The creature drops the door and slowly begins to step back into the static, having trouble walking backwards.  
You stare out the door, unsure what to make of the situation. Just as you're about to step forward and look outside, the creature emerges again, holding something in its deformed hand. Before you even know what it is it hands it to you, then once again leaves, this time for good.  
You look into your hands. The amalgam has given you a sturdy looking backpack. It looks pretty good, although it has a few sticky stains on it from the melting creature. The only thing inside is a can opener and pieces of old lint. 

Yarnus just stands there staring at the backpack for a while before picking up the can of peas and placing it in the bag. "I'm not stealing, they gave me the can opener on purpose." He looks around the room a final time before leaving, his eyes fall on the questionable can of 'rope'. "Might as well," he sighs and places it in the pack along with two hammers before stepping out of the room. "Looks like I'm going on an adventure," he half giggles to himself. 

The room you come in looks like it belongs in the ruins. The bricks are a washed out yellow colour with a light blue stripe at about the height of your hip. In the middle of the room is a tree, covered with crimson red leaves. It's white and looks segmented, like a spine. The tree is not actually on the ground, instead, it hangs in the air over a hole, unmoving.  
Three hallways lead out of the big room, forward, left and right. Including the hole under the tree that makes four possible ways to go.  
As you stand there looking around, the light just goes out for a split second, putting the whole place into absolute darkness. At first you think it was just your imagination, but then it happens again. It seems like it goes dark about twice every minute. 

Puzzled that he wasn't standing over the kitchen in some semblance of his own home, Yarnus takes in the sights between the blinking darkness. Reaching out his left hand, he keeps it on the wall as he walks to the left. "Something tells me I'm not in Caledonia anymore..."


	2. Pondering

You walk through the hall with your arm reaching out to the wall. You don't dare to let your hand off of it in this weird nonsense place. You walk further and further in, until you reach another opening.  
It's a small circular room with walls made of black rough rock. A small puddle of shining blue water is in the middle of the room, small white shining particles flying around. On the opposite side of the room is a huge wooden door with runes engraved on it. It's completely silent, serene even. When the second blackout comes, it doesn't reach this place, still illuminated by the pool.  
Something you can't quite make out echoes from behind the door. It doesn't sound dangerous, but you better stay alert anyway, you think to yourself. 

Continuing along the wall he makes sure his footsteps are as silent as possible while he strains to hear the sounds from the other side. 

You lean in as close to the door as you dare, listening in carefully... to pick up on a silent humming. Somebody's humming.  
Somebody is on the other side, humming a little melody to themself. As you continue to listen you can hear them step around left and right. If their footsteps are anything to go by, the room on the other side of the doors isn't much bigger than this one. 

Wanting some answers, he knocks lightly three times. Using his eye requires the sight of the being with a soul, until then it was only guesswork. 

The humming stops. It's silent for a while, then you hear the steps again, turning around and coming as close as they can, until they're just behind the door.  
"hello? anyone there?" The voice is deep, but sounds friendly enough. 

Yarnus inhales happily at the prospect of getting some information. "Yes, sorry to intrude." slipping into a more formal manner of speaking. "I seem to be a bit lost. Is this your home?" His words almost stutter as he realizes just how weird this place is. 

An unhappy chuckle sounds from the other side.  
"heheh, no, definitely not... i'm sorry you got lost here, too, it's really not a good place to be lost in." The person on the other side takes a deep breath. "hey, can you help me out a lill? i was tryin to find my way out and this door closed behind me when i entered. it's pretty cramped in here. i tried to kick the door down, but it’s one sturdy motherfucker of a door i tell ya." 

Yarnus nods his head, but then slaps himself for doing so when he can't be seen. "I can try. Lemme see what I can do." His fingers work on the door, trying to figure out the locking mechanism. If whomever is on the other side of a wooden door can't knock it down, they shouldn't be that much of a threat. 

You look around the lock. It actually looks quite complicated. No way you'd be able to pick a lock like this. It seems some sort of a triangular key is needed.  
On the other hand, the wood really doesn't look too sturdy. It's much bigger than you, but with enough force you may be able to knock it down... 

He sighs, "So much for it being easy to open. This lock is complicated." Yarnus backs up and looks at the door again, "It IS just wood so I might be able to weaken it so you can try to break it down from inside." He pulls off the back pack and retrieves one of the hammers and sets his sights on the hinges and the wood around it. 

"sounds like a plan, but i'm warning ya - it's really a lot sturdier than it looks." You can hear the trapped one on the other side lean into the door. "okay i'm ready, let me know what i should do and when i should do it." 

He tries to loosen the pins first with a couple of raps. But with the lock as fancy at it is, it most likely won't work. 

It does not. No matter how hard you beat onto them, they don't even scratch.  
The door also makes a strange sound when you beat into it. 

Slightly frustrated, he turns the hammer around to hit the claw side into a particularly weak looking spot. 

The wood comes off... to reveal thick metal plating under it. Well, at least that explains some things.  
You can't help but groan in frustration, getting the attention of whoever is behind the door.  
"ya alright?" 

"It's a FACADE!" He bemoans, throwing the hammer down in disgust. While he could be patient with others, to himself he had no patience. "I-I'm sorry, friend." He turns his back against the door and slides down to the ground. "Unless I stumble upon the key, I'm afraid you may be stuck in there." Yarnus sits and watches the white specks float around above the pool. 

"oh," the person inside says, "oh..." You can hear them slowly slump down the door, quite heavily. You don't know what to say, so you just sit there for a while, staring at the pretty room. You can hear the person from the other side exhale through their nose in distress, but stay silent. You look up, staring at the walls, and suddenly something catches your eye.  
Above the hall you came through is some kind of engraving. A bright red brain with spine sticking out on the bottom. Down under it are little specks of blood. And under it is a tiny triangle with ornamental spirals. The same tiny spirals you see on the lock. You get up to have a closer look, then suddenly the voice from the other side echoes again.  
"h-hey! ...look i know you probably have enough of your own stuff to worry about n stuff but... please don't leave me here. i've already been here a day or two, it's really... small here. i can help ya out if you get me outta here, i promise, i know stuff about there here void shenanigans." You can hear him take in a shaky breath, "please." 

"I wasn't planning on leaving, least not for long hopefully," he adds the last part quietly. "Do you happen to know anything about the puzzles here? I think I may have found something that might get that door open." 

You can hear them lean into the door again. "you have? what did you find?" 

"Some carving, red, looks like brain and spine and some drops over the symbols I saw on the lock of your door." His body shivers, "don't tell me this is some sort of blood lock. I don't think I have it in me," he nervously chuckles. 

"nah, i know the kinda puzzles this place has got. it sound more like... a sorta map? or like, it should tell you where to find the key. i guess the triangle is the key, but i got no idea what a brain and a spine could symbolize... or maybe it's not even symbolic. Is there something that looks like that somewhere near?" 

He repeats to himself, "Brain. Spine. Brain. Spine. Brain. Spine. TREE!" Yarnus jumps up and almost stumbles into the pool of water. "I think I know where it is!" His excitement is obvious in his voice. 

The voice on the other side of the door repays you your excitement.  
"you do!? my stars that'd be great!! i'll be forever thankful to ya buddy!" You can hear them clap, pretty damn loud, happy laugher apparent in their voice. "is it far?" 

"It's just the room over unless this crazy place changes, but..." Yarnus stops to take deeper breaths. "I think it needs something." He inspects the carving again noting how many drops are shown before rummaging through his backpack for the can opener and a can. " Say, friend. Have you ever heard of canned rope?" 

"...a canned what now? rope? huh... i've never heard of nothin like that." He's silent for a moment. "i did find a can of pebbles the other day. just a regular tin can with ‘pebbles’ written on the label. i thought it was some weird way of labelin or maybe some weird food that just happens to be called ‘pebbles’ but... no. it was actual pebbles. in a can. weird huh?" 

"Not the weirdest thing I've seen here." He pauses before opening the can of rope. "Paper. Unending stream of paper in a drawer. I barely got it under control." He opens the rope can and lets its contents fall on the ground. Afterwards he gathers the rope and places his items in the backpack before shouldering it and collecting water in the empty tin. "I'll be back soon, I have to go water a tree." 

"okay buddo, i'll be here, heh," they chuckle unhappily, sitting down. "good luck." 

Yarnus heads back the same way. This time with the tin of water in his left hand and his right on the wall.


	3. *Under the Tree

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)  
> Oh, I know why some of you are here.  
> And if you don't know... thar be smut in dis hir chapt-arr  
> The red bubbles will mark the NSFW portion.
> 
>  
> 
> Chapter notes at the end will have the text from the hard to understand dialogue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NSFW Tags: Tentacles, Size Difference, brief urethral play

After a bit of walking you finally manage to find your way back into the big room you came from. The torn out door into the hammer room lets flickering static light in whenever the room goes dark for a split second again, giving the whole place a very sinister feel. With the can of water in one hand and the coiled up rope over your shoulder you approach the hole in which the spine tree hangs in the air, motionless. It's red leaves really do look kind of like a brain...  
When you look down the hole, you see the huge spine-y roots of the tree floating in the air. Other than that, it's only darkness as far as your eyes can see. 

Not wanting to jump to conclusions, especially when dealing with pits of nothingness, Yarnus inspects the area for more clues and an area to secure the rope if needed. 

You walk around the hole, looking closer and more careful to see - there might be some light coming from directly under the tree, between the roots, but you can't tell for sure.  
Now, for a spot to secure the rope, that's a tricky one. The yellow walls of the room are all completely solid, with nothing to tie your rope around. There is one skeletal branch on the tree that protrudes out and looks sturdy enough though. 

The thought of swinging over a void crosses his mind and is quickly dismissed unless necessary. Yarnus stands near that branch though and makes an attempt to splash water on its roots. 

You empty the can over the roots. Deep from the darkness below echoes a rumbling sound that makes you jump, the beating of your soul quickening...  
...but nothing else happens. 

"...shit." Yarnus scowls at the spiny roots, his eyes looking down at the faint glow. ''I guess this won't be easy." He measures out the rope to see if it's long enough to reach from branch to roots before tying a few knots to help with his grip. 

The rope is very long, more than twice as much as you even need for this.  
You tie it around the branch and tug as hard as you can a few times, making sure it's secure. It seems like it is.  
You begin to carefully make your way down.  
It's so much scarier once your feet are dangling above the void. You can't help your soul beating right out of your ribcage as you slowly descend, knot by knot, trying to find some footing on the few steady roots. It's not an easy task, especially with the fear of falling into the endless darkness under you.  
But there it is. Under the tree, on one of the roots, a small prism shaped block of ornamented black stone is tied with a string. Looks like exactly what you're looking for.  
You outreach your hand, but it's just out of your reach. With your legs you manage to swing yourself closer, until you finally have the key securely between your boney fingers. Well done!  
Not wanting to spend another second dangling in the darkness, you stuff the key into your pocket and begin to make your way back up-  
when suddenly you feel something touch your leg.  
Reflexively you turn around, suddenly staring into a pair of dark blue eyes, calmly staring at you. You can't tell if they're really close or really really huge.  
Whatever it is in the darkness, it speaks to you, in a calm, whispering, almost transcendent voice.  
"ħɇƚƚø"  
You can feel the touch of its hands (if it even is hands) slowly creeping up your legs. It's warm and soft, but scares the heck out of you. 

"He-he-hello?" Yarnus can't help but to stutter as the touches creep up his body. He clings onto the rope as much as he can. "I didn't me-mean to disturb. I had no idea. I-I was just gi-giving this tree some water...It lo-looked like it needed some water." His eyes widen as he realizes the euphuism that statement might allude to. "It was just wa-water! From a p-pond, I swear!" If a skeleton 'could' urinate he probably would have at this moment. 

The touch creeping up your bones doesn't stop, reaching up to your hips now. You aren't sure if it's just your fear messing up your senses, but there might be more than just two ‘hands’. Way more.  
"ȼøℳɇ ⱦø ℳɇ," it speaks again, so gentle, so soft, "Ĩ Ϣĩƚƚ ȡø ɏøƱ ȵø ħⱥ℞ℳ"  
You flinch when you feel it reach under your clothes, tendril-like appendages gently coiling around your bones.  
"ƀɇ ℳĩȵɇ ℱøɍ ⱥ ℳøℳɇȵⱦ," it whispers graciously, almost benevolently, and you can feel its hot breath on your face like a gust of wind, "Ĩ Ϣĩƚƚ ȡø ɏøƱ ȵø ħⱥ℞ℳ..." 

A bright yellow blush creeps into Yarnus' face. He had never been touched in such a way and his magic was stirring in ways he was not fully in control of. He was so out of his element that he didn't use his magic at first to glance at the intentions within the other beings soul before murmuring, "Do you promise to return me?" 

"ɏɇȿ," it begins to gently tug at you, trying to get you to let go of the rope "Ĩ ƥɍøℳĩȿɇ ⱦø ɍɇⱦƱɍȵ ɏøƱ, ƚĩⱦⱦƚɇ øȵɇ, ɏøƱ Ϣĩƚƚ ƀɇ ȿⱥℱɇ Ϣĩⱦħ ℳɇ..."  
It lifts you up the slightest bit as it continues to touch you. You feel great strength in the way it handles you, yet it doesn't force you, waiting for you to give in rather than taking you by force. The warm gentle touches make you shiver, your magic surging up in your bones in confused excitement. 

While ‘Yarnus the Great Justicar’ could see into the very soul of another monster, at this moment he could not concentrate enough to manage that feat. He could barely manage to find his voice as the tendrils moved around him. Reaching down he runs one hand over a supporting appendage, followed by his other hand. "I -I see no harm in keeping company... for a moment." His thoughts briefly flashed to the lonely fellow locked behind the metal door. For both of their sakes he hoped that this entity could be trusted. 

((NSFW below this bubble.))  
((The next red bubble will return to SFW.)) 

As you shift all your weight into its grasp, it constricts around you more. At first you get startled but quickly realize it just wants to get a better hold of you, likely not to drop you.  
Then it begins to drag you down. You descend into the darkness, deeper and deeper, getting anxious when you look up to see the circle of light getting further away. You look down to see the calm blue eyes in the darkness approaching, the closer they get, the more you realize just how huge they are. Finally, you stop right before them, more tendrils swarming up to you. You can only see the squirming movement all around you in the light of the giant indigo irises.  
"ƀɇ ȼⱥƚℳ, ƚĩⱦⱦƚɇ øȵɇ..." it whispers again, quieter this time. The eyes gently shut and you're brought closer, until you feel the warm bone surface of its face against you. It rubs its teeth over your small form, giving you careful soft kisses. You feel the tendrils slip deeper under your clothes, carefully undoing the clasps on your cuirass as well as untying your kilt. Soon, you're naked in its hold. It kisses you again for a few moments, before pulling back, looking down at you with half lidded eyes. It shifts you on your back, taking a hold of your legs and lifting them up. You squirm when the unfamiliar feeling of your pelvic bones being fondled overcomes you. The creature eases back, then resumes, sticking the tendrils through your ischium holes and gently rubbing around your pubis.  
"ȼøℳℱøɍⱦⱥƀƚɇ?" 

"Ye-yes," Yarnus pants out, his yellow tongue lolling out of his mouth. "I, uh...I...". Words escaped him, the foreign feelings more than he had ever experienced before. His magic formed a familiar erect member that often only himself had practiced with. "I don't often...", his entire body blushed with embarrassment. 

The being closes its eyes and chuckled softly. "ħøϢ ȼƱⱦɇ ɏøƱ ⱥɍɇ, ħøϢ ȿℳⱥƚƚ..."  
The tendril around your pubis touches your magic flesh, making you pant. You're treated to another soft kiss before it gets constricted in the soft warm hold around the base and you exhale shakily as it starts to rhythmically sway from side to side, rubbing over your shaft. The ones fingering your ischium holes begin to move as well, in sync, slowly pushing in up until they can't push on any deeper, then all the way back out, then back in again.  
Your eyes become hazy and you begin to sink back into its hold, getting more gentle kisses. The tendrils tangle around your legs and arms, swarming up to your chest and sticking in through your ribs until your ribcage is full of the soft caresses. It feels kind of overwhelming, but not at all unpleasant.  
You let out an unflattering moan when a couple of them moves on from your pubis, rubbing on the inner edges of your pelvis, constricting around your spine. You're a writhing mess by the time another tendril begins to pump your magic piece properly, sending shivers up your spine until your back arches, your whole body surging with magic.  
The being doesn't tease you anymore. It gets a better hold of you, filling your pelvis up more until you feel pressure against its walls, slowly moving the sheaf of soft appendages back and forth through you, a little deeper with each thrust, until it's all the way to your ribcage. Two or three enter your mouth, tangling around your jaw, the hold around your magic piece getting faster and tighter. Your eye sockets begin to water from the overwhelming pleasure.  
"ⱥȵɏ ɍɇɋƱɇȿⱦȿ, ƚĩⱦⱦƚɇ øȵɇ?" it asks you in a breathy voice, seemingly also heated and close. 

The feeling of the tendrils filling him is new and exciting. Yarnus can't help but to moan lewdly as they make their way further into his cavities. Only one thought is in his head, filling it as much as he wishes his body was. "Mo-more," he manages to grunt out, "Fill me...please." 

The creature hums in agreement, nodding. "Ʊȵȡɇɍȿⱦøøȡ..."  
You feel the pressure in your pelvis increase as more of them push inside, deeper, tangling into your ribs and filling your ribcage up, too. Your eyes roll back in your skull as more tendrils snake into your mouth, coiling around your neck spine, collarbones and jaw. The creature slowly adds more, piece by piece, carefully watching your reactions not to cause you any harm  
Soon you're filled to the brim, the pressure on the inner walls of your bones luring weak moans out of you. They're low and muffled by the squirming mass of tendrils in your ribcage, throat and mouth. You can't even move anymore, just whimpering, getting closer. Through your own noises you pick up on the throaty sounds the creature makes, closing its eyes, bringing you closer. Suddenly you see indigo light behind its teeth and it opens its mouth, an enormous tongue lolling out. The warm wet soft surface rubs over you with its entire length, its hot breath misting over your sweating bones.  
You whimper, your eyes going wide, when you feel a thin one press against your tip. Before you can even decide yourself if this is desirable, it slips into your magic piece and you arch your back at the intense feeling. It's the surprise mixed with a small amount of discomfort that brings you over the edge. The pressure in your member grows and you whimper, helpless and startled, but not for long. The tendril pulls out and you shake with release, your eyes rolling back again, the feeling so intense you almost lose consciousness. You hear the creature growl, eyes shutting close, and you feel your bones getting soaked in many places, especially inside your chest and pelvis.  
Then it's over.  
The coming silence is only broken by your and its heavy breathing. You are almost entirely limp, exhausted by the entire experience. Slowly, the tendrils begin to snake out of you one by one, until you're empty once again. Laying on the bed of squirming soft tendrils, soaked through with whatever fluid that is, you lay on your back, almost falling asleep.  
Then suddenly you feel the wetness leave your bones, literally, seeping back down and into the squirming mass. Your eyes flutter open again and you feel your clothes getting put back onto your now almost clean body. The creature clothes you in silence, still so soft and careful, until you're sitting in its grasp again, just like before this all even started.  


((Tentacle fun happened, but not without leaving you one last 'gift'.)) 

  
"ħɇ℞ɇ, ƚĩⱦⱦƚɇ øȵɇ," it speaks up and you feel a tendril squirming up your cheek, you flinch a bit when it enters your eye socket, but trust the creature enough to let it do what it wants. Suddenly, you feel a jolt of energy fill your head and spread into your body, and with it confusing thoughts you aren't able to categorize.  
"ɏøƱ Ϣɇɍɇ ⱥ ȵĩȼɇ ȡĩȿⱦ℞ⱥȼⱦĩøȵ ℱɍøℳ ℳɏ ℳĩȿɇ℞ɏ... ⱦħⱥȵꝁ ɏøƱ."  
The creature kisses you softly one last time.  
Then, still a bit confused by what just happened, you're brought back up, the light approaching until you're set down on your feet back on the surface.  


Yarnus sat for a while, still processing all that had happened. Every time the room darkened a piece of memory drifted through his consciousness. After a while he stood and straighten the folds of his kilt and checked that the key was still secured. No one should be left alone in this place, while Yarnus couldn't possibly think of how to rescue such a large being, he at least had the means to free the one behind the metal door. With unsteady legs he tried to make his way back to the room with the pretty water and the door that should now be able to open.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come to me, I will do you no harm.  
> Be mine for a moment, I will do you no harm.  
> Yes, I promise to return you, little one, you will be safe with me...  
> *Be calm, little one...  
> *Comfortable?  
> *How cute you are, how small...  
> *Any requests, little one?  
> *Understood...  
> Here, little one.  
> You were a nice distraction from my misery... thank you.


	4. A Big Hello

You put your hand back on the wall and slowly walk back into the pond room. You feel... different. Still a little perplex from what just happened, but a lot more relaxed and ready to take on whatever is approaching.  
You enter the circular room, your shoes clicking on the black rough rock. This alerts the person behind the door of your presence.  
"hey, is that you? h-how did it go?" They sound hopeful, but also a bit worried. 

"Yarnus the Great has returned triumphant!" he almost giggled as he approached the door. It was only now that he noticed how large it was compared to himself. "If this key fits you'll be out of there in a moment. I'm guessing you're a bit claustrophobic in there?" Yarnus inserts the key and gives it a gentle turn. 

"oh man, you bet i am! i can't wait to get outta here!" They sounds giddy when they hear the key turn.  
The small prism turns in the lock, then sinks deeper in and the lock begins to open itself. A very fancy show of cogs and levers plays before you as the door slowly unlocks, until finally, the handle makes a silent click.  
It's quiet. After a few seconds you unsurely reach out for the door handle, only to flinch when it turns from the other side.  
You step back as the huge door begins to open. Then from the darkness inside, steps out the biggest skeleton you've ever seen.  
He looks like you, sort of, except he's just enormous. He has a huge ectobelly glowing from under his shirt dimly, grinning widely with his big blunt fangs. He's looking up when he comes out, but when he doesn't see you there, he looks down and grins even wider, showing off his huge blunt fangs.  
"oh my gosh? you sure are a small one!" You're a bit intimidated by his size, but before you can even begin to have doubts, the huge skeleton leans down and grabs you in his arms, lifting you up in a tight hug.  
"thank you so much little guy, i'm so glad to be outta this stinkin place! i'm forever grateful!"  
He then pulls away, still holding you in his arms like a goddamn toddler.  
"what's yer name, anyway?" he says with the same sweet smile from cheekbone to cheekbone. He looks a bit scary, but so friendly you can't help but smile back. 

Yarnus' legs dangle calmly under him as he's held up. With one arm he salutes across his chest proudly, "I am Yarnus, the Great Justicar of the Royal Court. May I ask you your name as well?" A small yellow blush grows on his cheeks before adding softly, "and could I ask you to put me down?" 

The big skeleton sets you down on the ground, also blushing.  
"oh, sorry bout that buddo," he scratches his skull in embarrassment. Then he outreaches a hand towards you to shake.  
"the name's omega, hotdog eatin champion of 2056. ...don't really have any other fancy title than that, heh." 

Safely on the ground once again he stretches his arm up to accept the handshake. "No need to worry about titles here friend." His skull nearly touches the back panel of the cuirass when he looks up. "Are you 'Jotun'? I've never met anyone who was taller than the king." 

Omega grabs your tiny hand in his, shaking it carefully.  
He crooks his eye arches when asked the question.  
"am i a what now? a jewtoon? i ain't never hear nothin like that, i'm just a big ol' skeleton my lill' fam." He tilts his head. "what is a jewtoon?" 

Yarnus seems oddly pleased that the big skeleton is honestly confused. "They're legendary giants. But I've never heard of them being skeletons like us and..." he pauses looking down at his own feet. "... they tend to be tricksters." Returning to glance up with a smile, "I'm glad you're not one." 

Omega rubs his chin, squinting his eye sockets at you in thought.  
"huh... where are you from, anyway? your clothes look real unusual. you're the oddest lookin me i ever saw, no offence." 

"Oddest...me?" Yarnus tilts his head in confusion. "This entire place is odd..." For a moment he is silent as he thinks back to the amalgamate that looked like him. His face briefly contorts thinking that he was odd compared to it, but remembered the door was barred from inside and relaxes. "I'm from the Isle of Monsters. I take it you are not? Are you from one of the otherlands?" 

"uhhh... i guess? i'm from the snowdin in my universe, but i don't think i can tell you anythin closer than that. my universe didn't have a name, and it's dead now anyway..." He sighs a bit, but then lifts his head up and gives you another smile. "and sorry bout callin you odd, i know this whole place is all kinds of fucked up... i meant, most of the time the sanses i meet look and act a lot alike n their clothes are almost always the same blue jumper. sorry if i offended ya little bud." 

"No offense taken. I'm just really confused is all." He looks down at his outfit and adjusts the plaid fabric a bit. "This is my more... formal wear. I..." Yarnus starts to think back to his first arrival here. "I must have fallen asleep in it, but then I woke up here...wherever here is?" Almost talking to himself, "Why was I wearing my formal armor?" 

Omega stays silent for a moment, just looking down at you with his hands in his pockets. He shifts his eyes away, then looks back to you.  
"you... woke up here? huh... well, for your own sake i hope you're just dreaming, heheh..." he laughs unhappily, then looks away again. "this is the void. it's a place made out of all the unstable leftover piece of existence from all the universes that were... destroyed." He stays silent for a moment, letting out a little sigh, then speaks up again. "and if you're here, then that can only mean two things. either you somehow got yourself here alone - maybe someone even dragged you in for whatever reason - or... well, either way, you won't be seeing your universe any time soon." He pats you over the shoulder, "i'm sorry." 

The light in Yarnus' sockets dim at the news. "I'm pretty sure I'm not dreaming," he replies sadly. "How do you know these things?" Curiosity took over the lost feeling of the moment. "What do you mean other universes? Have you been here before? How did you get here? How did you leave? How long have you been here?..." The questions would have continued until interrupted. 

Omega puts a hand over your skull to stop the avalanche of questions, smiling down at you sympathetically.  
"easy easy... i just got outta a tiny room i've been locked in for days. i'll tell you everything you wanna know, but right now i'm hungry and need to stretch my legs." He stretches his back to illustrate his point, growling comfortably. "ahh, finally i can stand upright..." He walks a few steps away from you, then stretches again before turning back to you, scratching his butt. "ya got a place to crash here somewhere?" 

"I woke up in a room that was like mine, but different." Yarnus pauses worriedly, "I believe it belongs to someone else." He gathers up the backpack and holds it out, "They gave me this, and a can opener, and a can of peas..." quietly adding, "I kinda took the peas." Moving forward towards Omega, "I hadn't explored much before finding you, so I don't know what else is here." 

"peas sound good," he grins, "but i got a bigger appetite that that." He snickers, then stares off into the hall you came in from. "let's go out there and see what we can find, ey? the void is full of danger but also opportunities. i'm sure we'll be alright if we stick together." He gives you another wide smile, patting your shoulder almost affectionately. "i'll watch your back n you'll watch mine. whatd'ya say?" 

"Sounds good!" he hoisted the pack onto his back and smiled up at the large skeleton. "Lead and I shall follow."


	5. Snowglobal Warming

Omega grinned again and stepped out into the hall with his hands in his pockets. You put your hand back on the wall and watch him carefully as you follow, until you reach the big room again.  
Omega stops and looks around, before seeing the broken down door. Without much hesitation he walks right in and to the static door, kicking the hammers around. He knocks on the wall beside the static door and you just silently watch as the creature with many heads and mangled arms steps out. Omega gives it space and even lets it hold onto him with no fear at all, until the creature focuses all of its eyes on him.  
"heyyy! sorry to bother, but would you happen to know where we could find some grub?" he asks in a friendly manner, completely untouched by the terrifying looks of the creature he speaks to. You're sort of flabbergasted by his approach.  
The creature makes a groaning sound, its flesh bubbling, as it points straight out the door. Omega nods and thanks the creature while it slowly crawls back into its door. He turns to you and smiles before gesturing for you to follow and walking out.  
Walking into the middle hall you instantly notice the air has gotten colder, much much colder, and soon you're able to see your own breath. You go through, the cold temperature declining until it's freezing, until you reach an opening. It looks sort of like... a snow globe? Round glass walls surround a small house in a snowy plain, a few pine trees growing around. Outside the glass, there's only darkness.  
"whatdya know, looks promising enough! let's see if somebody lives here." He walks out and you want to follow, but once you step into the snow you find it's at least a meter tall! You fall right in, flopping over on your back, and Omega covers his mouth not to laugh too loud, apologizing for not being able to hold back. 

Snow, especially deep snow, was something Yarnus had never experienced in his life. He had only read about it in fairy tales and legends, and none of those mentioned how snow has the tendency to go right through a skeleton bones. The more he struggled to get upright, the deeper he seemed to get himself buried until he could no longer move due to the weight of the snow built up around, and inside of, him. Once his initial panic was over he waits for Omega to stop laughing before freeing his arms to reach up. "A little help here?," his voice attempted to be stern but failed as he chuckled himself. 

Omega walks to you, his legs burying deep into the snow yet he has little to no trouble getting around. He reaches down for you, grabbing both your hands and lifting you up. Before you know it you're sitting behind his neck as he continues walking towards the house, still chuckling a little.  
You grab onto his skull, a little anxious since you're so high. It's bizarre to be this tall all of a sudden, but you're not complaining. Seeing everything from this height makes you feel important.  
There's also another thing you notice. Omega is warm, even in the freezing cold. It makes you a bit uneasy to feel the warmth of his body between your legs, but before long you've reached the house and Omega sets you back down on the porch of it.  
Omega presses the doorbell, and a little bell jingle plays through the house. But nothing happens. Omega knock on the door, but as he does, it reveals to have been open the entire time. With a silent creak it opens a little, and Omega gives you a fleeting glance before shrugging and entering.  
Inside it's dark. Omega's ectobelly dimly glows into the darkness, until the skeletons eye lights up, shedding some light on the place.  
It's a big room with nothing but a huge couch in the middle and two doors on the right side. From the ceiling hangs a candelabra. Although it all looks long abandoned, there's no dust.  
"see any switches? or at least a candle would be nice... i ain't too great at this," Omega taps a finger over his temple, next to his lit up eye. 

Yarnus finds it odd that his fellow skeleton can only light up one eye. As a justiciar he frequently makes use of his eyes, so lighting up an area takes little effort. His entire socket starts to glow a faint yellow before forming a large iris-like circle with a yellow lit pupil. Numerous small white lines radiate out from the center. It doesn't make much light so he closes his eyes and concentrates a bit more. When he opens them the circle is smaller, the lines fewer, but brighter. In his home universe, others would describe a feeling of being watched around him, and being caught in this gaze would make you feel as if he could see through you, to your intentions. Using the light from his eyes he looks around for anything that might be useful. 

Omega turns his eye off, staring at you, until an amazed smirk spreads over his face. "damn lill' guy, yer a natural."  
You look around the room, but there really isn't anything but the couch and the candelabra. Meanwhile Omega tries the handles to both doors, only to find they're locked. You look under the couch for good measure, and find a bundle of keys! There's 4 keys in total.  
The door closer to the house door is bordo red, while the one further away is blue. Two keys on the keychain have caps of the same colours, while one is without any cap and the fourth one has a completely different shape altogether, looking more like a key to some vehicle than to a door.  
The blue door leads into a bathroom. A huge bathtub imbedded in the wall takes up about half the room, while a small sink hand on the wall by the door. A small mirror cabinet is above the sink, reflecting your light around when you shine into it.  
The red door leads into a kitchen. There's a counter, a fridge, an oven and a huge cabinet... and on the wall, a huge yellow and black striped lever. 

The world that Yarnus came from wasn't nearly as technologically advanced as others, but the stove and 'icebox' were recognizable to him. "Perhaps we could find something to eat in here?" He opens the huge cabinet first to check its contents, before moving on to the icebox. 

Cans. All kinds of cans. Cans as far as the eye can see.  
Canned peaches, canned walnuts, canned beans and peas and corn, canned lunch meat, canned roasted beef, canned almonds, canned birdfeet, canned screws, canned iced coffee, canned glass shards, canned candles, canned cat hair, canned teeth... there has to be at least a hundred dozen. Some of them sound appetizing, other... not so much. 

Yarnus just stands there for a moment before calling over his shoulder, "Hey, uh...Omega? Got any suggestions? I make a mean 'how-to-die', but it's better fresh." He reaches in to grab a can of chicken, a can of spinach, and a can of eggs that he hopes isn't pickled. While he's at it grabs the roast beef, potatoes, some assorted veggies, and the can of peaches. Looking at the haul in his arms he wonders just how much does it take to feed a giant skeleton. 

Omega comes into the room, his head almost hitting the top of the doorframe.  
"a 'how-to-die', huh? sounds exciting," he smirks, scratching his boney chin. "i'm a pretty terrible cook, so i'll leave it up to ya buddy-o." He walks into the room, standing behind you to see what cans you pick, helping you out a little.  
You set your ingredients on the counter, but realize that for one it's still dark, and two - the cooker won’t work without power. You don't even have time to think before Omega is grabbing the black and yellow lever and pulling it, seemingly without much thinking.  
An electric buzz and a deep hum sound out from beneath and the light bulb in the room begins to shine. It's not as good of a lighting as your eye, but it'll do, and you don't have to waste anymore magic.  
The red digits on the stove light up, spelling something in a font you don't understand. Omega leans out of the room and chuckles.  
"hey! the candelabra is workin too, sweet!" He leaves the room, probably to check out the bathroom.  
You are glad the light and stove is working, but can't help but wonder if the house has any kind of heating system. It's still really cold. 

The entire house seems a little too small for Omega and a little too big for Yarnus. He chuckles, thinking of some old story with bears in it as he pulls a dining chair over to the counter so he can reach better. One small pot for himself and a much larger one for the larger belly that needs to be filled. He turns the tap and lets it run before filling each of the pots about halfway. While the text confuses him, there are symbols next to knobs showing which should activate the burners. As the water heats he opens the cans and fills his pot with chicken, spinach, and eggs, while the other gets beef and a heaping of veggies for a stew. Standing near the stove helps warm his bones a little bit, but he must move away from it to look for spices to add to the meal. 

Conveniently there's a huge can with 'Spices' written on it. When you open it, you find it's full of smaller cans, each of a different spice. You can't help but find it kind of cute.  
You continue cooking, the room getting comfortably warmer and filled with the nice smell. Omega comes back into the room and wants to say something, but then stops, astonished. He takes a deep sniff, smiling widely, apparently forgetting all about what he was going to say with the idea of food. He comes closer and looks over your shoulder, grinning excitedly.  
"what's it gunn be? it smells delicious! need any help?" 

With two pots starting to bubble, an extra hand does sound like a good idea. "You might want to find another can of beef for the stew... maybe some bread or crackers to thicken it up." He pokes at the canned eggs to break them up before tasting the smaller pot and making a disgusted face. "This is a terrible mockery of How-To-Die," tapping the spoon on the side before moving the small pot off the burner. Turning to the larger pot, "this at least is turning out to be a decent stew." He stirs it a few times and samples the spoon, giving it a satisfactory grin before gathering another spoonful and holding it out to the larger skeleton. 

Omega has to lean down to give your work a taste. He grabs onto your wrist with his hand to bring the spoon a bit closer and slurps from the almost comically small spoon. He smiles widely, humming in agreement as he pulls back and slaps his boney hands together excitedly.  
"bud - that's awesome! i haven't had a decent meal in what feels like years!" He pats you over the back again, a little harder, seemingly out of excitement.  
Sadly, there isn't anymore beef, so you have to settle for just a can of crackers. Omega hands you some bowls from the top cupboard where you can't reach and once the meals are done, you pour each of you a bowl.  
Omega brings you a couch pillow to sit on since the dining table is a little too high for you. You sit at the table, the big skeleton looking as excited as a little kid on Christmas. He thanks you and you both start eating.  
Although you aren't 100% satisfied with how your meal came out, Omega doesn't seem to mind one bit. He eats like mad and soon both pots are empty. You feel a little better about the place, now that you've ate something that reminds you of home.  
Omega leans back in his chair with a blissful sigh and calmly fishes some remaining bits from between his teeth while you wonder about the heat. Now that the stove is off, it's getting cold in the room again. You shift your eyes to Omega who's now swinging on his chair slightly, the wood creaking under his weight. He seems completely unaffected by the cold. 

Yarnus clears the table and attempts to wash the dishes, however the increasing cold and the not nearly room temp water has his hands shaking within moments. One of the bowls slips from his grasp and clatters in the sink. "Shit" is exclaimed a little louder than he wished and he goes to wipe the freezing water off with the tartan fabric. "Why does it have to be so cold in here? I am not used to this sort of weather." He holds up his hand and wiggles his fingers. "I've never had my bones ache like this." 

Omega Gets up from his chair and approaches you, rubbing your shoulder.  
"the cold botherin ya?" You just nod, and he pats you comfortingly. "we'll have to figure out some way to warm this place up... meanwhile, you can borrow my parka.  
Before you can even say anything, Omega is pulling his blue parka off and throwing it over your shoulders. It's huge and heavy and so so warm, you can't help but quickly bundle up into it.  
"i could go out n fetch some wood but... i ain't sure if there's a place to build a fire in here." He looks around the room, into a cupboard, then startles you a little with a victorious "a-ha!" as he pulls out some weird metallic box.  
"hehe, this is exactly what we needed. a little heater!" He turns it around in his huge arms, finding the power lines of the small device. "doesn't look too sturdy... but we probably won’t be stayin too long anyway. you find a power outlet n i'll bring the mattresses," he smiles at you before leaving the house once again. 

Yarnus makes his way into the living room. The parka dragging slightly behind him as he looks around for an outlet. There seems to be plenty enough options in this room so he decides to crawl up on the couch and make himself comfortable in the warm parka. Pulling it closed around himself he flips the hood up completely covering his head and pulls in his legs so that no part of him is exposed. The lingering warmth and new smells are so relaxing that he finds himself starting to fall asleep.


	6. Buddy It's Cold Inside

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The chapter in which chapter names start appearing.

It's completely silent, only the gentle hum from under the house echoing into the huge room. You're so comfortable, so calm...  
You wake up when the door opens, hearing Omegas grunting from behind a pair of mattresses being shoved into the room.  
You can't imagine where from the big skeleton has acquired a big and a smaller mattress, two different sheets and three smaller pillows. He drags all of it inside, then notices you bundled up on the couch and stops. An awestruck tiny smile spreads over his face.  
"awwww," he says, embarrassing you a bit, "you look so precious bundled up like that. ya comfy?" 

Burrowing deeper into the parka a muffled, "Yes" is heard. He watches as Omega maneuvers his haul through the front door and waits for the door to close before venturing out of the warm parka cocoon. "I could have slept on the couch. You didn't need to bring a mattress for me." He slips down off the couch and reaches out to help with the pillows and sheets. "There's outlets on every wall in here so we could plug in that heater-box anywhere I think. Maybe furthest from the door so none of the heat escapes." 

"gotchya napoleon," he winks at you. You don't really understand why he just called you that. You move the couch and the mattresses over to the corner, plugging in the heater and putting it in the middle of your sleeping spot. Omega takes his parka back and gives you the thicker sheet before laying down on the bigger mattress. His feet still protrude out, but he doesn't seem to mind.  
"well, i'm gonna catch myself some Zs. the best thing after a good meal." He gives you a thankful smile before bundling up in the sheet. "you should get some rest too buddy-o, we might not find such a good resting place anytime soon again." You do feel kind of sleepy yourself... it might be a good idea to get some rest. 

Yarnus bundles up and positions a pillow under his head. It doesn't take long to start to fall asleep. Not even a few twitches of his restless legs keep him from slumber. 

Deep into the night, you're woken up. You can't tell what woke you up at first, staring into the darkness of the room. Was it some noise? It's completely silent now, except for Omegas snoring. You lay there, bundled up in the sheet as closely as you can, and then you realize it.  
The cold is back.  
The room is so damn cold, the bones of your toes and fingers more resembling tiny bits of white ice. You try to bundle up more, but nothing much helps. You really don't want to get out of the sheet, but you also won't be able to fall asleep in this temperature...  
You look over to Omega, barely seeing his figure in the dim light of his ectoflesh. He's not even completely covered, but seems fine. How the hell does the big skeleton manage to keep his body temperature, you don't know.  
Looking at the heater, you can tell it's still plugged in, but doesn't produce heat anymore for some reason. 

Bundled up in sheet, like a burrito, Yarnus worms his way over to the heater. Tapping it a few times does nothing to get it working, that being the extent of his knowledge of electronics. Without any other option he works his way over to Omega. The much larger skeleton seemed friendly enough that he wouldn't mind too much if he woke up next another body. Slowly he tugged the sheets up to cover Omega and slid up next to him underneath, careful to not directly touch him with his freezing appendages. 

It's so warm under the sheet with Omega, that you can't help but give a blissful little sigh. You begin to fall asleep again.  
Omegas snoring continues, strangely comfortable to listen to. Not too loud, rhythmical, calm-  
Suddenly his weight squeezes you into the mattress as Omega rolls over almost on top of you. You let out a choked yelp and the big skeleton wakes up in a flinch, getting up on his hands. "whoa- what-" he looks around confusedly, before looking down at you. He covers his mouth. "oh shit bud, u ok? i'm sorry, i didn't know ya were there." 

"S-s-sorry. It got c-cold." Yarnus' teeth chatter as much from the experience as they do from the rush of cold air from the shifting sheets. While he wasn't the most fragile of skeletons, Yarnus was thankful his cuirass was sturdy. However as he sat up he noticed that it was bent ever so slightly out of shape, just enough to chafe his ribs when he breathed in deeply. "I'll be fine," he said distractedly while trying to readjust the straps to relieve the pressure. 

Omega crooked his eyebrows, reaching out and putting his huge hand over yours. "hey, ain't it a little uncomfortable to lay in bed covered in armour? you probably shouldn't sleep in that." 

The warmth from his hand sends a shiver through his body not related to the cold. "It's actually not that uncomfortable. It was made to fit perfectly on my ribs." Yarnus pauses for a moment, not wanting the big skeleton to feel responsible for denting it. "I could see how it would be uncomfortable to press against. I could take it off if you'll let me...." His face softly glows. "I mean, if we shared body heat. Y-you're very warm." 

Omega stares at you in surprise, his eyes widened. Then, he looks away, a slight blush spreading over his face, along with... a smile. He closes his eyes, turning away and chuckling. You're a little unsure what kind of reaction even is this, but then he looks back to you, grinning widely.  
"heyyy, sure thing little man, sounds like a great idea," he says, still chuckling a bit, and pets your skull with his huge hand. "i'd appreciate ya takin off the stuff, n i promise not to roll over ya again, heheh." He lays back down, waiting for you to take the armour off. The moment you do, he reaches out for you and pulls you into his arms almost like a stuffed toy, setting on his side and hugging you closer. Your face is now pressed against his chest and your body against his soft and warm ectoflesh.  
"ya comfy?" he asks, still smiling. You can't help but notice the blush over his cheekbones widening with more physical contact. 

The warmth against his bones strikes Yarnus speechless for a moment. Only a happy hum escapes as he positions his arms to a more comfortable position with one arm attempting to drape over Omega's ecto-belly. "How are you so warm?" he asks. 

Omega runs his hand over your back, almost thoughtlessly you think, the feeling of his warm hand going down over your spine sending a wave of that same unknown feeling through you.  
"i dunno, i mean, i guess the universe i come from was a really cold one, so... and i've become real good at conserving magic in my body over the time i spent here in the void. this damn place constantly drains you trying to fill its every bit with it, like a power vacuum. i'll have to show ya how to store some magic of your own, or you'll end up all weak and fatigued." He pets your back again, a little more deliberately this time, as he smiles. "we can do that after we get well rested. we gotta be fresh if we wanna spelunk this shithole and find our way out."  
He pushes you closer into his chest, putting his chin over your head. "heheh, all you lill' guys fit together with me like tetris blocks. let me kno' if ya got uncomfy lill' bud, i can..." He's interrupted with a big yawn that shows off his enormous canines. "i can always move so ya can lay better. don't be afraid to wake me up..." 

Yarnus almost begins to ask more questions, like what other little guys. But the idea of getting out of the void fills him with almost as much warmth as the heat from Omega. Slowly he begins to fall asleep in the big guys arms while one thumb subconsciously draws small circles on the ecto-belly.


	7. Morning Good

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I know my chapter releasing is a bit sporadic. The first couple of chapters were released all at once because I wanted everyone to meet Omega as soon as possible. I'll figure out a schedule later. It's Turkey Day / Birthday for me tomorrow so I'm sending out a new chapter today. 
> 
> Much love for everyone who has left a kudos or comment or bookmark. Tooth and I appreciate it greatly.

You sleep better than you would have ever imagined you would in this scary fucked up place. You have no idea how long you have slept, there aren't even any clocks or any other way to tell time here in the Void. Maybe time doesn't even work the same...  
You slowly open your eyes, just now noticing the hand coming up and down over your scapulas softly. You look up to see Omega awake, still holding you, staring into the wall in thought. When he notices you're up, he smiles down at you calmly, eyes half lidded.  
"well, good mornin lill' guy," he says softly, as if afraid to break the silence, "ya slept good? i'd say you did, you slept like a baby." He chuckles patting you over the head. Then, his eyes shift away for a moment, then back to you.  
"hey, thanks again for gettin me outta that locked room. it was pretty awful in there, n i was really afraid i'd be there forever," he looks away, "maybe end up like some other inhabitants of this cursed place..." He looks back to you and smiles warmly. "so thanks for that."  
Suddenly, before you can realize what he's going for, his teeth are pressed against yours. The feeling of his warm mouth send a shiver down your spine. But then he pulls away, smiling again, and you realize that maybe it was just his way of showing gratitude. He smiles again and lays his head on the pillows, closing his eyes, rubbing your scapulas again in silence. 

Yarnus just looks stunned as one hand raises to touch his own mouth. "You have strange customs where you come from." He props himself up and places his hand on Omegas belly. "I remember something you said last night about storing energy. Is that what this is?" His hands softly move over the ectobelly with fascination. 

Omega grins widely, rolling over a bit and pulling his shirt up so you get better access to the blue mass of ectoflesh. It looks soft and is warm to the touch. Involuntarily you wonder how would it do as a pillow or even a mattress.  
"heheh, yep. yer a sharp one," he winks at you, then slaps his belly. "instead of havin my liveforce in my bones where it constantly gets sapped from me from all around, i concentrate it n store it in here. it's convenient. and comfy!" he laughs, patting the mass. "it's actually really easy to do once you know how. i can show you if u want one of yer own, ey?" 

Yarnus watches the belly jiggle with a slight smile on his face, "So...you can control it? Like drawing it in and out again?" He removes his hand with a shocked expression as he realizes something. "If it's your life force, then isn't dangerous to have it exposed?" 

Omega puts his hands behind his head and shrugs nonchalantly "eh, kinda... i guess if somebody sliced it off or took a bite, they'd take a big chunk of my magic with it, but i mean, it wouldn't kill me or anythin. n i don't really use magic all that much... i got kinda fucked up from bein here too long ya know. stuff like telekinesis and bone attacks used to be second nature to me a long long time ago, when my universe still existed and there was only one of me, but a lotta shit happened to me since then. now i no longer use magic to do attacks or any other fancy stuff, just everyday normal stuff like breathin n liftin heavy stuff n conjurin flesh, so i got an abundance of my life force that i'd rather store like this than let out into the void vacuum." You realize that that's probably why Omega is so warm even in this freezing cold. His body is filled with magic that he can't really use actively, so it boosts him up passively, in a biological sense.  
He smirks at you and pats his belly again, his hand glowing. You can see the magic in the mass of blue ectoflesh stirring around a bit, until he draws his hand away again.  
"yeah, it's real easy to control it once you get used to it. if i needed to, i can, like, 'turn if off', let the flesh dissolve back into magic. every time i do that here in the void a big part of it gets sucked away from me before it can seep back into my bones tho, so i'd rather not show ya rn, sry." 

"Oh...I see," Yarnus sits up cross legged beside Omega. "Is it something like forming a tongue? That I know how to do." He demonstrates by forming a rather blunt wide tongue and opening his mouth just enough to show it. 

Omega grins amusedly at your demonstration, then rubs his chin in thought.  
"well, kinda..." he sits up, "here i'll show ya."  
He reaches out for you and grabs you like a small animal. Before you know it he sits you down between his legs, your back leaning on his belly, and leans over you, pulling your shirt up. He doesn't seem too concerned about you blushing in bewildered confusion as he reaches down to your hipbones.  
"it's like... it's kinda hard to explain how to do it but... basically... here, i'll form the screen for ya." His hands start to glow with magic as he draws his fingers over the front edges of your hipbones, making you shiver. A see through thin elastic layer of magic begins to form between them, which omega then pulls up until he reaches your lower ribs. He draws his fingers over them until the magic stick to them, then pulls back, putting his hands on his knees. "there!" he exclaims sweetly, "this will work like... like a screen of sort. now ya force your magic outta your body against it until it forms the flesh. don't use all of it tho, you should learn to draw and store it with as little effort as possible first. when i was startin with this, i used way too much magic and couldn't draw it back properly n it almost fuckin killed me lmao." He laughs, although there was nothing very humorous about what he said. "i'll help ya out a lill' more ey?" he lifts your arm up by the wrist and uses his other hand to gently push some of your magic out of it towards your center, rubbing his warm hand over the length of your arm in the process. 

If the process itself wasn't terrifying enough, the comment about almost dying really took the cake. If Omega hadn't lifted his arm and started the process Yarnus would have probably just sat there frozen in place. Instead he felt his magic drain from his arm. Not completely, but just sort of thinned out. For a brief moment he fought against the feeling but then let it pool towards his center. Looking down he could see the pale golden magic slowly make its way down the barrier. Concentrating on his other arm he tried to repeat the process. It was slower without the assistance but eventually moved to his core. Yarnus was quite proud of himself and looked up to Omega above him. Resting his head on the larger skeletons chest his smile suddenly dropped, "I feel a little lightheaded." 

Omega gently pets your skull and shoulder, letting you lean back against him. "yeah, don't worry bout that, it's normal when you do it for the first time. let's just leave it at this for now, ey? you did a darn good job considerin yer experience." He leans down and kisses you on the top of your head. "just relax, i'm here if you happen to faint. i'll take care of ya lill' man." His voice is calm and deep and you can't but find it comforting and relaxing, closing your eyes. You feel the magic in the rest of your body slowly creep back into the parts you drained, trying to adjust yourself to having an ectobelly. It feels kinda weird, not uncomfortable or anything, just weird. The woozy feeling is slowly leaving your head, the warmth and softness of Omegas flesh behind you so comfortable, his thumb gently rubbing your skull... You feel safe. Omega throws the still warm sheet over you and for a few minutes just caresses you softly, before leaning down with a smile.  
"how bout now? feelin better?" 

"I think so. This is... strange. At least to me." Yarnus is still a little breathless while he adjusts. "I feel a bit like when I use my eyes too much. Otherwise I think I'm fine." His hand reaches down to touch his own belly. It's nowhere as big as Omegas, scale wise. but it's soft and a little warm. 

Omega watches you get to know your new piece of ectoflesh, just sitting behind you, his legs by your sides. You grab and pat around, then suddenly your hands are joined by one of his as his fingers slowly slide down your side and under your arms, his palm wrapping around your side. From the way he holds you you can tell that just a little push would get him to back off.  
"can i?" he asks, "i'm kinda curious myself." 

"I-I guess so." His hands move out of the way of the bigger hand, setting them down near the knees the large femurs surrounding him. "It's sorta part yours...I-I don't quite understand that barrier thing you did." 

Omega leans down and your body gets almost surrounded by him, his belly pressing into your back. His fingers press and rub your magic flesh, carefully, as he chuckles right beside your head.  
"heh, it ain't nothin hard my man," he says, leaning his cheek against you, "think of it as... a really really thin piece of a bone attack. except you don't chug it, and instead attach it to your hipbones and ribs. that's kinda how it works."  
He rubs your belly for a while, the feeling still weird and alien to you, but nice enough. You feel your cheeks still burning despite feeling calm. Somehow you expect something to happen...  
But he just pulls your shirt back down instead, leaning away and patting you on the back.  
"looks good! i'd just leave it as it is now. you can train by drawing tiny bits of magic in and out, till you get a better hang of it." He stands up, groaning, then stretches his arms up and yawns loudly. He steps over you and walks to the couch, grabbing onto the backrest and turning back to you with a calm smile, clicking his tongue and scratching his belly absentmindedly.  
"you want some breakfast? i think there was a can of cereal somewhere in the cabinets..."  
You notice not just his shirt, but also the front of his pants emitting a faint blue glow. He doesn't seem to notice, or maybe he knows and just doesn't draw attention to it? Maybe it's not even something to raise an eye arch back where he comes from...? You're getting confused.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Fact: Yarnus' comment of 'feeling lightheaded' was inspired by my passing out after donating blood a few days previously. I will never skip breakfast on a donation day again! I've learned my lesson.


	8. Wonderwall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter length has been pretty much random so far. As of today there are 175 pages, or 40 some odd chapters if I keep chapters to 3-5 pages.  
> Just for grins I've made a [Soundtrack](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZKuzwPOefs&list=PLTiAl0h5Q6t6NA9bcX6FA_CwUvxmgeV0i) with songs either referenced in the RP or in titles or just cause they remind us of characters or scenes.

Yarnus shrugs off the warm blanket and feels the cold air on his arms. It's not as cold at last night, or it doesn't bother him as much. Concentrating bit he moves some of his magic to his arms and for the time being feels warmer. He begins to gather and fold the sheets into reasonable order while he hears Omega rummage around in the kitchen.  
The little justiciar wasn't really anti-social, but as a judge he didn't really get the chance make friends often. This large skeleton was obviously from a culture that used more body contact than he had been used to in his courtly culture. After he finish settling the blankets on the couch he entered the kitchen with slight spring in his step. He was going to thank the big guy properly.  
Omega was sitting at the table just as he was the night before, already starting on what he had scrounged up for breakfast. Pulling himself up on the chair next to him Yarnus stood to be eye to eye with the big guy. "I know you may be grateful for me getting you out of that awful room, but I'm really glad I found you, and that you're helping me." He paused for a moment before placing a hand on Omegas shoulder. "I'm glad you seem to know all about this weird Void. Without you I'd be lost." His face flushed a little bit as he leaned in to press his teeth against Omegas skull in a kiss. 

Omega smiled gently, his eyes still half lidded in his sleepy calmness. He leaned closer, pushing his cheekbone into yours, petting your skull.  
"heh, no problem lill man," he pulled back, "glad i can be helpful to ya." He reaches over to the table to pick up two cans. "i found some milk and cereal, heh... are ya a milk first or a cereal first kinda guy?" He laughs at his own question, as if it were a joke. Maybe it is in some way? You can't really tell.  
You eat your breakfast, once again feeling energized. Omega sets his spoon down and finishes his meal by simply drinking the entire bowl in one gulp. He nods in satisfaction, then looks to you, his sleepy look replaced with his usual goofy grin.  
"how do ya feel lill' bud? should we go on or do you wanna stay a lill' longer? if you wanna go we should probably take some stuff with us, ey?" 

"I don't see how staying would help us get out of the Void faster. You did say you know how to get out of here, right?" he hops down and brings the backpack over towards the pantry and starts to pull out the more edible and a few otherwise useful cans. Once it's mostly full he moves it to the living room. Testing out his cuirass, he finds it doesn't sit well on his new stomach and opts to tie it onto the backpack, making it look almost like a turtle shell. 

Omega shifts his eyes away, his look getting a little worried.  
"well, i kinda do... we gotta find somebody who'd pull us out." He sighs, "but it's not so easy, everything is broken and unstable here. i'm sure if we go out we'll find some sort of hub or somebody will pick up on us but... it could take quite the effort. not mentioning that your..." He gets silent mid sentence. Then a sad smile appears on his face as he looks at you. "heh, don't sweat it little guy, no point in worryin, ey? i'm sure we'll find a way outta here if we just try."  
Omega then helps you with some of the cans, stuffing a few into his giant pockets too. When you put your cuirass over your back, Omega begins to chuckle lightly, noting on how cute you look.  
You're packed and ready to go. Beside a few various cans, Omega takes the thicker of the sheets and folds it under his shirt.  
"anythin else ya wanna do before we leave or we goin already? there's no rush so take your time buddy-o." 

Yarnus looks around the room. The house did look every bit abandoned and for a moment he wondered who might have lived there, what their universe was like, was his home also destroyed and some part floating around. He let out a deep sigh. "Yeah, no point in worrying. We just have to move forward." A almost fake smile crossed his face. "There were some other keys. Do you think we might find something useful around here?" 

Omega gives you a light shrug.  
"There was a worn toothbrush in the bathroom mirror cabinet, but that's about it." Then he suddenly remembers something. "oh! i did see a big ironclad door on the other side of the house, but it was locked. maybe the big key you found will fit it tho, let's check it out!"  
You come out of the house and you promptly fall back into the deep snow. When Omega's done laughing, he picks you up, holding you in his arms bridal style this time, until you make your way to the other door.  
The key slips in easily and soon Omega is opening it, you standing a bit back in case someone or something cranky and aggressive is inside. It's empty however.  
The room behind it is strange to say the least. An enormous stairway leads down, then immediately back up again, giving it a triangular shape. The door on the other side of the weird hall is a huge round metal one, like of a vault of a submarine.  
It would seem like the stairway is black, but it only takes a change of angle to figure out, they're actually glass, with the darkness outside. On one side there's the familiar endless black void, but on the other is what seems like a sunny open plain. It's bizarre to say the least, to see something resembling open space in a place like this. 

Yarnus slips past the larger skeleton and gravitates towards the sunny wall. His fingers slide along the glass as he slowly descends the stairs. His gaze glued to the field the entire time. "Wow! This is soo beautiful. Do you think it could be a hub?" Without waiting for a reply he makes his way up the other stairs and inspects the door. 

Omega seems a bit hesitant to go after you.  
"hmm, i dunno... usually it's better to stick to small spaces tbh. the smaller the space, the smaller its inhabitants. the lesser chance something big will attack you you know?" He looks down to his feet and take a step back from the glass stairs. You realize he's afraid to step on it because of his weight, despite the glass being sturdier than his own bones.  
The round door on the other side is, as you kind of guessed, locked. Well, it's not really that it's locked, the lock seems to have been pried off. Now the broken iron is holding the door shut and won't budge no matter how hard you pull.  
You ask Omega for help, who seems hesitant at first, but eventually comes over to help you. You both tug at the door the hardest you can, but to no avail. You just aren't strong enough.  
"ah... i'm sorry lill man," Omega says, looking way guiltier than he should, "i guess i ain't strong enough..." 

"It's ok," He reaches up to pat Omegas arm and looks back where they had come in. The darkness seems a bit more pressing than before, mostly due to his previous distraction. "I didn't notice how scary these stairs were before." Yarnus let his hand slip down and then gently grasp at Omegas fingers. "Let's go back."  
As they return Yarnus, chatters away to distract him from the Void just on the other side of the glass. "I'm not sure if I could imagine meeting someone bigger than you. If so I'd..." he fell silent and his face started glowing bright yellow. His encounter under the tree was suddenly brought to the front of his mind. "May-maybe they'd be j-just as nice as you." 

Omega doesn't notice your blush, possibly because of the glass stairs making him nervous. He is holding your hand quite tightly.  
"heh, yeah, most folk here don't mean no harm," he says, "they're just scared or lonely or lost their mind. but there are exceptions... you gotta be careful bout who you let close to ya - just a lill friendly advice." You make it back to the other side and you notice Omega sighing in relief. "well, we can always return if we figure out a way to open that door i guess..." 

Yarnus nods and thinks about the advice. 


	9. My Eyes Know What You Did In The Dark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *Zalgo text is in the chapter notes at the end if you have trouble reading it.

"You seemed to know the amalgamate in the room I woke up in. When I was there the door was boarded up...from the inside. Was there something he was afraid of?" He looks up to Omega with a look of concern. "How did you get stuck in that room that was too small for you?" Things were either starting to add up or make even less sense to him, he wasn't quite sure which. 

Omega seems a bit surprised.  
"boarded up? why would they board up the door? when i met them they were quite welcoming..." he wonders, both of you leaving and making your way out the snowglobe, Omega once again carrying you. "man, that's scary. what if they did see somethin to board up against? hmm..." You leave the deep snow, but Omega doesn't put you down, as if he forgot. "well, heh, it's kinda embarrassin but... there was a muffin in the tiny room n i... well, i have my dumb moments ey?" He chuckles ashamedly, then grins again. "but just so you know, it was delicious. not really worth being closed up in there for several days - but close, heheh." You make your way back into the room with the spine tree, entering the third and last hallway. "let's hope this leads somewhere..."  
You enter an enormous square shaped cave full of water and vegetation, covered in what resembles echo flowers, blue and slightly glowing, but more vine like. It grows all around the muddy marsh, illuminating the dark room with its faint glow. Slight buzzing of unseen insects fills the dim lit room. The opposite wall of the room is tall, so tall you can't see to the top, covered with vines. There's no other exits. Seems like the only way from here is up. 

Yarnus looks around from his perch in the larger skeleton's arms. He didn't mind being carried much. The close contact was a welcome contrast of the pull of the void that he was now more aware of. "It looks a bit like a bog. The ones in my world had a bad habit of pulling my boots off if I wasn't careful." Despite this, he wiggled until Omega got the hint to set him down. Watching his steps he made his way to one of the flowers reaching out to touch it's petals." 

You hear bits of passing conversations.  
"...i will find you if it means coming to the end of the world, i will never give up..."  
"...GRAAAAAAH... GRAAAAAAAAAARGH..."  
"...the lights, they keep following me..."  
  
"...s̝̗̟̻͎̦̩͢a̦͙̹̳̜̽̉̃ṅ̲͚̟̗̻ͯ̈́̓s̤͙ͫ̂̀͟ s̫̬̻̆̌͛̌̒aͪn̵̩̹̐ͥ̄̓̓ͥͬs̻͎̺ͬ̈́͌̇͂̇ͤ͜ͅ ̪͙̝̙́̾͊̑̀͜ͅͅs̮̰̤͐̾̐ͥ̀a̼̭̞̥̓̈̽ͦ̇͛ͧn̬̝̭̫̿̈̄ͅs̷̝̖̪̼̦̻̏ ̥̱̼̮̖͕̪̐́͊͆ͭ͌s̬̝̮͔̟͚͈̔͛́̏̚a̞̩̘ň̟̞̜̰̽̿̈́̾̍ͣs̺̤̳̓̍̔ ̔̏͒̈ͥͣ̌͏͈̳̣̠̯ͅs̢͎͔͈̖̳̹̥̅̊ḁ̷̺̠̈́ͨ̎̌͌̏n̨̳̖̻̲̲̪̬̓̍ͩ̈́̚s̼̩̺̩ͫ̑ ̨̬͎ͫ̆ͩ̈̚s̶ͤ̿͒̆̋̀̍a͒ͯͯ̃̓͢n̬̳̘̲̎ͥ̏ͯ͋͑͊s̜͑͌̾ͣ ̡͚̜̱̽̓̅̄͆̐̉s͚͈̞̼͉̤̦̏ͪ͢a͕̒̽ͧ̍̈ͦ̆n̴̗̻̠ͥͤs̤̼ͦ̏ͩ̃̄ ̿̇̈͏̱̹̝̻s̳̖̟͕͚̤ͩa͉̻̬̝̯̿ͦ̃̐ͤ̕ͅn͇ͨ̂s̈̽̓ͯ ̖͙̭̹̬̍͑̿̉̆s̲͉̮̫͛̂̄̆̋̑̚͝a̘̬̝̮ͦͭ̆̿ņ̹s͓̱͑̃͂͗̎͢ s͋҉̩̖̤͍a̷̖͉n͕̖̤ͬ͋͌ș͎̍̍̀ ̡͍̞̠̫̜̖̒̌͑ͫ̓͗s̸̖̫͉̮̻̘̟̊̚a͗ͪ̿̄ͦ͊͠n̻̗̙̉ͭ͠s̪̥͎̊̓ͮ͒̌̄̌ ̧̱̳̯̩̜͈̑ͧ̓ǐ̼̬̱̲͇̙̬ͤ̐͛̿͋ͣt͌̒̊ͨ̀ͩ ̬͈̫̏͌́̅̔ͅh͖̲̓u͎͍̗̫̗̲̇ͧͫ͑̅̃͊ȑ̞̝̙ͭ̚t̹̻̮͇͓̒s̭̠͔̫͙̱͎̈͊̔̇ͥ̋ͯ ̬̟̳͇̟̤ͧ̊͑̔̅̐̀sͯ̈́ͨa͎̘̾n͙̲̰͈ͤͤs̷̘͚͈͍͆..."  
  
"...the noise never stops why does the noise never stop the noise never stops why does the noise never stop the noise never stops why does the noise never stop..."  
  
The voices make your periosteum crawl. 

Yarnus wasn't sure if the first flower gave him hope in finding a hub or not so he made his way to another flower, and then another, and another. Finding one that bore a strange similarity to the voice under the tree he turned around, touching one final flower as he made his way back to Omega. "This bog sounds like it might do more than steal boots. But there's many voices here, that could be a good sign." his voice trying to sound optimistic. 

Omega looks a bit creeped out, still standing on the edge of the bog. He leans on a wall, taking his flip flops and socks off before entering the muddy water with bare feet.  
"lets hope it is." He chuckles, "can't decide if i want to run into some owner of these voices or nah."  
He comes all the way to you, the whispering of the echo flowers all around. Omega looks around, but seeing no exists he looks back to you and shrugs.  
"where do we even go here? how did all those people that passed through, you know, pass through?" 

Yarnus's face drains in terror as Omega begins to slosh through the water. It's the exact opposite of how to walk in a bog if this happened to be one. "Be careful! You don't know what could be under the water." Quickly looking around for a large sturdy spot he jumps to it and motions for Omega to follow. Even if the danger was all in his head, Yarnus couldn't think of anything else until he knew his new friend wasn't in any trouble. 

Omega gave you a raised eye arch, but followed your instructions, walking up on the solid land next to you. "what's the problem lill man? i always take my shoes off, i dunn wanna git them wet ya know." 

Yarnus rubs the back of his head, embarrassed, "Sorry for freaking out. Where I come from these areas can be dangerous...not just for boots either." Taking off the backpack he hands it to Omega. "Hold this for me and I can look around a bit more. I'm not sure if this place has any doors or not. If so they're probably overgrown." Yarnus heads towards the nearest wall and activates his eyes enough to see a little better in the dark. The drain on his magic seems to be a little less than the first time back in the snow globe, possibly thanks to his new belly. 

You search around, until you find a cave opening behind the wall right opposite to where you came in. It's rather small for a skeleton as big as Omega, but he should be able to squeeze through.  
You also find something buried in the mud just a little way off. A big red leather shoe. Besides mud, there's an... ingot of gold inside? Damn, what a rich shoe.  
While you're looking around Omega is sitting on the dry land, twiddling his thumbs. "what ya got lill man?" he asks when he notices you pulling the shoe out of the mud. 

"Well looks like the mud around here likes to steal shoes..." he holds up the shoe, followed by the gold, "among other things." A bright smile crosses his face. "But more importantly there's a cave over here. Wanna check it out?" Yarnus starts to pull at the vines to try to widen the opening. 

The vines are surprisingly tough despite appearing thin. When you don't have much luck tearing them, you simply push them aside for Omega to see the cave.  
Omega tilts his head to look in, looking a little unsure.  
"hmm, seems awfully small for a guy as bigboned as me..." He gets up and makes his way through the mud to the opening, measuring it over with a careful eye. "eh, but it'll do i'm sure," he smiles, shrugging. "you wanna go first or should I? i wouldn't wanna get ya stuck if i get stuck, heh." 

"It'll be best if I go first since I can brighten the way. Just tell me if it starts getting too small for you and we can turn back." Yarnus heads into the cave and starts looking around. A few steps in he turns to check on Omegas progress and keeps it in mind as he continues. 

Luckily, the cave doesn't get any tighter than the opening. Omega has to walk a little bent over, but he doesn't seem to mind too much. The cave is dark, only illuminated by your eye, until faint glow from the end of the cave slowly starts turning into full light.  
You walk into a bigger cave opening. It looks like another spot where somebody used to live, furniture made out of stone, shelves embedded in the walls, echo vines spread among the ceiling for light... looks homely.  
In the corner of the room is a spot with running water, enhanced by a few wood pieces so the water works like a shower. A smaller room mined out in the wall is filled with pillows and sheets, like messy makeshift bedding.  
Two more openings lead out of the room.  
You also notice a bowl of soup sitting on the table with the spoon still in. It's cold but... not moldy or even developing a skin crust. Whoever set it there did so not long ago. 

Yarnus inspects the soup and gives it a whorl while he thinks. "Whoever was here must have heard us...or the flowers. They might have thought we were one of those voices and ran away." Walking around some more he makes his way to one of the other openings and calls out, "Hello? We mean no harm." Waiting a moment he goes to repeat the message down the other opening before turning around and giving Omega a shrug. 

Omega shrugs back, opening one of the shelves and stuffing something into his face from it, probably a cookie by the sound of it. Suddenly, over the crunching of the sweet pastry in his mouth a clapping sound echoes from one of the caves you called into. It's a TAP-tap-TAP-tap sound, as if of someone who... doesn't have one shoe on.  
"WE WILL SEE ABOUT 'NO HARM'!" a loud high voice echoes. From the opening storms in a skeleton, a tall thin Papyrus looking fella. He's wearing black armour with pointy shoulder pads and shin plates, only one of his red leather boots on. His teeth are sharp and he looks very angry and hostile. He also wears a shawl, oddly enough on the left side of his torso, as if he was carrying something in it.  
He storms right to you, putting his hands by his sides. "WHO ARE YOU TWO?! ARE YOU FOLLOWING ME AROUND??! YOU BETTER ANSWER WHILE YOU STILL HAVE ALL YOUR TEETH!" he lifts a fist at you threateningly. Then he looks over to Omega who hasn't finished eating and points a finger to him in the same angry manner. "AND YOU, STOP EATING MY COOKIES YOU OVERCOOKED PIECE OF WHITE PUDDING!" 

Yarnus was a brief moment away from defending himself from the rather imposing figure when it turned to direct his anger at Omega. Instead he used the distraction to dodge around him and gain some distance. "WE'RE NOT FOLLOWING YOU!. WE'RE LOST TOO!" he yelled out. Staring down the thin skeleton he fell into his more formal tone. "I am Yarnus, the Great Justiciar of the Royal Courts." His eyes glow and narrow for a moment before relaxing and fixating on the oddly placed shawl. "This is my friend and guide, Omega. I apologize for his behavior. It was out of line to eat another's food without permission." Something he picked up on was that this skeleton might respond better to formality, so he would keep up this act as long as he needed to. 

The hostile skeleton seems to answer well on your formal approach, he narrows his eyesockets, folding his arms over his chest. You notice the shawl move in a strange way, suggestive of something alive being inside.  
"HMMPH! YOU ARE LUCKY I AM NOT FEELING LIKE FIGHTING AS OF NOW..." he growls, giving Omega a stern look. The big skeleton shrugs and smiles with his mouth still full. The tall skeleton looks to you again. "WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR IN A PLACE SUCH AS THIS?" 

Yarnus gives a sigh of relief that he tries to cover with the same look of indignation the other skeleton has. While he had excellent control over internal magic, his external battle magic was not as practiced. "We are not looking FOR anything...other than a way out of here." 

The tall skeleton scoffs, smiling unsympathetically. "WELL ALL YOU WILL FIND HERE IS DARKNESS AND SILENCE. EVERY AND ALL LIGHT DISAPPEARS ONCE YOU CROSS A CERTAIN POINT IN BOTH THESE CAVES. I TRIED BOTH MAGIC FIRE AND THE ECHO FLOWERS, BUT NOTHING LASTS. IF YOU WANT TO TRY HOWEVER, YOU ARE MOST WELCOME TO GO IN AND GET LOST AND DIE FOR ALL I CARE!" He lifts his head high, dusting his shoulder to show you his disdain. Omega frowns and folds his arms, but keeps silent. 

Yarnus raises his head just as high, since he had to compensate, and stares at the caves before asking his next questions. "What is it that you've been looking for? What's so important you'd risk you and yours lives in those caves?" He makes a knowing nod towards the bundle. A sincere smile starts cross his face. "Perhaps we could work together." 

The tall skeleton stays silent, looking at you with silent fire in his eyes. You can see him press down on the bundle with his arm slightly, but can't shake off the idea that it was unintentional, like a reflex.  
He turns away, his eyesockets darkening. When he turns back his look is somehow calmer.  
"I DO NOT CARE FOR ALLIES. UNLESS YOU CAN OFFER SOMETHING TO ME, I ONLY WANT YOU OUT OF MY SIGHT." He turns away and walks to the table. "SKIRT WEARING WEIRDO..." you hear him utter. Before you can answer to that, Omega growls, grabbing your shoulders and pushing you to one of the cave entrances.  
"ugh, who needs ya you grumpy good for nothin jerk." He leans down to you, "come on yarny, i got a good reason to think we'll be ay-okay." You enter one of the caves and Omega leans down to you more, grabbing you over the shoulder. "the guy said he used echo flowers and magic fire, but he said nothin bout magic light. i saw darkness-es like this before, n i'm fairly sure yer eyes will work alright," he winks with a grin. 

Yarnus lets out a deep breath, "I think I pushed a little too hard. It's obvious he's protecting something." Taking back his backpack he pulls out the red shoe, "I feel kinda bad for them." Turning, he chunks it towards the entrance. He wasn't even sure why he felt the need bring a random shoe with him, but he definitely didn't need it. Taking Omega's hand they walk into the darkness, "I was thinking the same thing about my magic. Fire is external and I can.... well... my light can get a little intense." 

You turn your magic eye on, the ray shining into the cave. It looks a little more narrow than the one you came in and you hear Omega sigh a bit at the sight.  
Putting your hand on the cave wall you press on. The cave system is indeed very complicated and confusing, but with your light it's quite easy. At one point it gets darker, your light getting slightly dimmer, but you can still see good enough to press on. You make a mental map of the place in your head, feeling confident. Omega leaves scratches in the wall behind you, just in case.  
It's about half an hour into spelunking when you notice a third set of footsteps echoing into the darkness. Somebody is following you, and you're fairly sure you know who it is.  
Your light is also getting brighter again. Seems like you're almost at the other side, wherever that may be. 

Yarnus had never used his eyes this long and is very glad that the darkness seems to be thinning. His little belly was nearly gone and each step was more tiring than the one before. Dimming his eyes to the least amount they needed he held onto Omega for support. "We're going to make it out of here...aren't we?" 

Omega held you on your feet, then picked you up into his arms, his soft fluffy parka holding you comfortably in his warm embrace. "of course we are little buddy," he whispers softly, giving you a little kiss on the forehead, "we'll make it outta here if it means i gotta carry you all the way outta the void." He holds you closer as you shine forward from his arms, until your eye dims completely. By this time the light from outside is already visible, and Omega holds you closer as the air gets colder again.  
You walk out into open space. It feels so weird to be in open space here in the void, since everywhere you went so far it was closed and claustrophobic. Now you're out, in a snowy mountains plain, snow and rock as far as the eyes can see. Omega holds you closer to shield you from the cold that nips at the tip of your nosebones. Light snow falls from the grey sky, cold wind blowing it about the mountains.  
The crunching of snow sounds behind you and Omega turns around. There stands the tall skeleton from before, silently staring you down. He has a bag over his shoulder, the shawl tied closer around his chest. Omega gives him a disagreeing look, exhaling through his noseholes in a puff of misted breath.  
"look who's following who now," he growls, "why ya gotta sneak behind us like a creep, we offered to help ya out."  
"I DID NOT FOLLOW YOU, SAUERKRAUT," he hisses, "I SIMPLY HAPPENED TO GO THE SAME WAY. WHICH, UNFORTUNATELY, HAPPENED TO BE OCCUPIED BY YOU." He whips his head and walks away. You notice both his boots are on this time and can't help but smirk to yourself before he disappears behind the snowy hills. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *sans sans sans sans sans sans sans sans, it hurts sans...


	10. *Resounding Joy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Welcome all you Tooth Followers! This chapter is right up your alley. It's at minimum 50% NSFW. Like previous chapters red balloons will mark the dirtiest of sections.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NSFW tags: Blow jobs, urethral play

The wind picks up again, more snow swarming up like a swarm of angry bees. Omega holds you closer, then suddenly puts you into one arm and unzips his parka. Soon you're stuffed inside, so warm and comfy pressed to his chest and belly, the big skeleton grinning down at you.  
"is this alright with ya lill guy? figured you could use some warmth, ey?" 

Yarnus is more than happy to snuggle up under the parka. At this rate he's beginning to hate snow. In all the stories and songs it was always pretty and nice and fun to be in. None of that seemed to be true, or at least not the snow in these void-ripped chunks of a broken world.  
"I'm guessing this is too big to be a hub? Any idea where we are? The way that other guy walked off...he might be from here. I doubt he went through that bog..." he was interrupted by his own a large yawn. "Elitists like that aren't known for bog-hopping." His eyes close for some much needed rest and he held onto Omega's torso as much as he could before starting to doze off. 

Omega chuckles finding both your talk about bog hopping and your yawn adorable. He rubs your skull with his fingers before zipping you up even more, holding his arms under you from outside the parka so you're as comfortable sitting on his belly as you can. It doesn't take long for you to fall asleep, a little fatigued from using up so much magic. You slip into deep sleep in the comfortable hold of your big friend.  
When you wake up, it's silent. The first thing you become aware of is the light hold around your body and Omegas thick bony digits rubbing your shoulder comfortably. His other arm is wrapped around you from head over your back to your butt that is subtly cupped in his palm. It's as comfortable as it gets.  
Slowly you open your eyes to find you're in some sort of a cave. Omega is laying on his back on a huge pile of leaves covered with the sheet he brought with you from the snowglobe house, holding you in his arms on top of him. A small fire sits in the middle of the room, shedding soft light on the surrounding rough rock walls. A few echo vines grow around, some of them burned off by the freezing cold.  
It's warm and comfortable and... You look up to Omega, slight blush over your cheeks, and once he notices you're awake he gives you a wide friendly smile, his eyes once again calm and halflidded.  
"good mornin there," he says softly. You just now realize his hands are glowing as he touches your bones, very lightly transferring some of his magic to you, just enough so you feel better but your organism doesn't get overwhelmed. "how ya feelin lill bud?" His mouth is so close you can feel his breath over your face as he speaks to you, smelling the chocolate from the cookies he had earlier. 

"Better... a little hungry, but..." he lays his head back down to hide his blush. "this feels...good." Feeling the magic transferring into his body felt wonderful. It was a little like getting a hug or a nice warm bath... or a hug in a nice warm bath. For a moment he thought he wouldn't mind living in the void as long as he had Omega with him. "Can-can we stay like this a bit? I don't want to be cold again." 

"sure, we got nowhere to rush..." Omega leaned back onto the wall again, shifting his hoodie behind his back for comfort before setting down again. You're treated to another smooch on the cheekbone, very close to your own teeth, before Omega leans his head on yours. His hand rubs soft circles into your back, not stopping the soft magic transfer, your bones tingling so comfortably. Soon all your magic is back, the fatigue leaving your body, and Omega stops his input, just petting you instead. Your small form gets lifted up and down with his rising and falling chest as he breathes, surrounded by his warm embrace. All is calm and safe. 

He knows the magic transfer stopped a few minutes ago, but there was still a tingling in his bones. Looking up at Omegas face he waiting for his breathing to bring him close enough to press their heads together for a kiss. Yarnus made a slight adjustment to prolong it just a bit longer than the other brief encounters.  
"Thank you." he whispered after pulling back, "...and I'm sorry for fussing over you before. I was... I was worried I'd lose you." 

Omega closes his eyes when you kiss him, obviously enjoying the contact, but not keeping you from pulling away once you do. He smiles calmly at you and pets your skull, his hand resting over your cheekbone.  
"heheh, it's alright lill' bud, i can be real dumb n reckless sometimes. but ya don't have to be worried for me, i survived so much shit you'd be surprised." He laughs lightly, his chest jumping under you. Then he gets silent again, his hand still on your cheek. Slowly, his hand slips lower, until he's lightly holding your chin, rubbing your jawline with his thumb. You feel your cheekbones getting more yellow, and your face only gets even more flushed when Omega closes his eyes and leans in, kissing you again.  
The contact of his teeth against yours makes your soul beat faster, knowing what he's going for with this. He tilts his head and lightly nibbles on your front teeth, his hot breath misting over your bones. Then he pulls back, looking closely into your eyes with the same calm, relaxed, benevolent stare. He slowly blinks before leaning back in.  
"say no and i'll stop," he assures you in a low whisper, "just one word is all it takes. don't let me hurt you..." He leans in again, but waits for you to close the distance a second time. 

Yarnus moves forward. He had always heard that kissing a skeleton was weird and now for the first time here he was. It was not at all 'weird' and felt perfectly natural, new and exciting, but natural. His arms draped over Omegas clavicles and around his neck. Summoning a tongue he licked at his teeth and chuckled at the remaining flavor of cookies that still lingered. "Don't worry. I may be small but I'm not that fragile." He leaned back a little bit and smiled.. "Besides, I trust you." 

You feel Omega shiver when your tongue touches his teeth, his hands coming up to your sides as you straddle his belly. He smiles widely, his face glowing blue, chuckling flusteredly. "heheh, i'm glad to hear that lill' guy. still, if i got ya uncomfortable, let me know ok?" he assures you, waiting for you to nod in agreement.  
He holds you closer for another kiss, his hands coming up and down over your back. Your tongue is soon joined by his, huge and meaty flexible piece of glowing blue ectoflesh. He gently runs it over the outer edges of your teeth, letting you twiddle yours with it. It feels amazing.  
For a few minutes you just kiss lightly like this, enjoying one another and humming in comfort. Omegas hands rub your back up and down, massaging your ribs and scapulae, pushing you closer from time to time. Then his hands slide up and to your head, one holding your scalp while the other gently holds onto your jaw. He tilts your head, tilting his own in the opposite direction and carefully pushing a finger in your mouth to open it up. Then he leans in, closing his eyes again, and you moan weakly when his huge tongue snakes into your mouth, filling it up almost entirely. He rubs your teeth and folds it over your own tongue and you feel your pubis tingle with the intense magic surges going through your body from the sensation. 

*Start NSFW*

Yarnus playfully wrestles with the massive tongue now in his mouth. Feeling it filling him brings about a deep moan from deep within his chest. The abundance of magic within his bones manifests between his femurs quite quickly. As the kissing continues he starts to press his member against Omegas chest. Not forcefully, but just enough to give him some friction. 

Your subtle humping soon turns to you holding onto him with your femurs, seeking more and more friction while the deep kiss continues. You don't realize just how much you've been grinding against him until Omega pulls back, leaving his tongue in your mouth for a little more before leaning away completely. A big amused grin spreads over his face, looking down at where your kilt is illuminated yellow from under the cloth.  
"well hello there," he chuckles amusedly, "glad to see you're enjoyin yourself, heheheh." You're a little shy about getting so carried away, but Omega doesn't let you hesitate, grabbing your hips and pushing you a little lower. He grabs his shirt in his teeth and pulls it up before sitting you down on his warm ectobelly, the contact making you pant. Still holding you by the hips he slowly rubs you up and down over it, smirking widely.  
"yer free to take yer skirt thing off." He looks at you a little apologetically. "i know it ain't a skirt, but i dunno what it's called, sry..." 

The mention of his kilt being called a skirt again causes Yarnus to pause a moment before chuckling. He removes the belt that holds it up and removes a pin from it's side letting it fall off to one side. "It's a kilt. Not my fanciest... that one is a pain to put on." Not wanting to get side tracked again he removes the rest of his articles of clothing and let them fall wherever they will. Laying down completely naked on top of Omegas belly he stretches up and runs his phalanges delicately over his ribs. 

Omega happily takes the opportunity to touch you, running his fingers over your bones, up from your neck to your scapulas and ribs, over your spine to your hipbones, grabbing at the edges and rubbing them between his fingers a little harder than you expected. Once he's done, having you panting over his chest as you touch around his ribs and hump against his belly, your eyes go wider with the feeling of his hands sliding down your pelvic bones to your boney butt. He sticks the tips of his thick fingers into your sacrum holes, not forcefully, just as deep as they go without pushing, and you let out an unflattering shaky moan. Omega grins at the sound and goes on, touching the edges of your ischium before moving a finger to lightly rub the tip of your tailbone. Damn, like damn, you're getting so fucked up already, and Omega growling with satisfaction at every shaky noise you make doesn't help it at all. 

The vibration of the growls below him sends shivers up and down his spine. The softness of the ectobelly makes a delightful contrast to the bony fingers exploring his body. Panting, Yarnus thrusts his pelvis with increasing force between the two. "Oh... Omega... I...", for a skeleton with such a formal vocabulary, he unable to form a coherent sentence. 

Omega smirks down at you with that soft benevolent look of his halflidded eyesockets, his blue irises shifting with the lessening of his focus. He plays with you a little more, then slides his hands up to his hipbones again and suddenly pulls you closer, until his face smushes into your crotch. Your eyes go wide with the sudden movement, then your jaw falls open when you feel his tongue slowly slide over the entire length from base to the tip. Your whole body reflexively wraps around his head, your hands pushing his face closer and he willingly gives in to your urging, opening his mouth and letting you between his teeth. His huge tongue wraps around your member, hot and wet and so soft, immediately running up and down the length, changing angle, speeding up and gettin rougher the louder your whimpers get. His hands just hold your hip at first, but then wrap around you and smush you closer, your pubis getting into his mouth, his teeth holding onto it just enough not to cause you discomfort. He pushes your dick against the top of his mouth while his tongue snakes out, around your pubis and into your pelvic bottom. You aren't really able to hold on anymore.  
With a loud moan you come, your entire body shaking, as he holds onto you and you hold onto him, bracing yourself, afraid you're going to fall over. Omega groans deeply in agreement as you fill his mouth.  
Then it's over and your whole body goes weak. Omega holds onto you so you don't have to worry about falling, carefully pushing you down until you lay on his chest and belly like before. You're outta breath but feel fulfilled and satisfied.  
You lift your head up with a wide smile to look at Omega, and freeze in surprise when he show you his tongue, your golden stuff spread over his tongue. Some of it mixes with his blue saliva into a light green colour, before he pulls his tongue back and swallows it all, licking his teeth afterwards.  
"heheh... you taste sweet, like flower pollen," he growls amusedly, lifting a hand up to rub your cheek affectionately. 

Yarnus caresses the hand on his cheek and leans in for a modest kiss. "That was wonderful. But what about you?" he exhaustedly chuckles. 

Omega smirks at your question, leaning in for another kiss. "that's a good question, 'what about me'? you wanna repay the favour, ey?" He waits for your response, then pulls back. "i'd like that lill' man..." Then he grabs your hips and lifts you up, turning your around and sitting you back down on his belly, shifting a little lower on his back. Your face goes all yellow again with the sight of the front of his pants brightly lit up blue from beneath. Omega lays his head back and lifts his knees up, his hands resting on your femurs, but doesn't give you any instruction or even suggestions. When you wait a few seconds for one, all you get is an amused "well?", letting you know he's waiting. 

Yarnus leans down and runs his hands underneath the waistband lifting it up and freeing Omegas member. The impressive sight causes him to pause. Slowly he pulls himself further down in order to reach it with his mouth. His bright yellow tongue wraps around the head stroking it a few times in one direction and then alternates the other direction. The phalanges of one hand stroke down the shaft while the other provides balance rubbing against the side of Omegas pelvis. 

You really are kind of stunned just by big this fucker is like damn son you gotta be paying a whole fortune at the post office for a package this size lmao. Even for how big Omega himself is, this is one huge dick.  
Omegas manifested magic feels tingly at your tongue at first, hot and slick and tasting of something sweet you can't recognize. When you lick at his tip, not even needing to lean down too much, Omegas fingers wrap harder around your femurs and his hips shift slightly under you. He lifts one hand to rub your back up and down, growling in agreement. "ahh shit lill' man, that's nice... ooh... tighter please..." You feel his hand gently push into your back, more directive than forceful. "ah fuck yer doing me real great."  
You continue to lick and coil your tongue around his tip as much as you can manage, then suddenly feel Omega lightly buck against your mouth, pulling back. You watch in awe as a few beads of precum form on the tip of the huge member, shimmering blue.  
Omega lets go of your femurs, giving you the freedom to move around if you wanna. He still has his palms on you, but only to keep you steady on his belly, his chest rising and falling more deeply now. 

He licks at the dew finding it to be almost intoxicating. Yarnus slides both of his hands along the shaft firmly, not for support anymore, but at Omegas pleading. He continues for a while relishing the traces of precum every time they present themselves. Omegas heaving breathing and bucking gradually increases to a pace where Yarnus decides it's better to slide off to the side. Repositioning himself on one of the large femurs he turns his attention to the underside of the massive shaft. His tongue slides up and down a few times before a thought crosses his mind. Returning to the head, Yarnus concentrates and slides his moist tendril across the slit and looks to the larger skeleton to see what his reaction would be. 

Omegas back arches slightly and he lets out a surprised moan, immediately getting up on his elbows to look down at you, his eyes a little wide. "whoa, what- what was that?" he asks, but not in a freaked out disagreeing way, more in surprised amazement. "wow, h-holy shit please go on lill' man, please," he lays back down, a huge flustered grin over his blue face,. One of his hands grabs at his own mouth while the other reaches out for you, touching your shoulder with his fingers since he can't reach it with his palm. 

A mischievous grin spreads across his face. Between a shape-shifting friend back home and his encounter under the tree, Yarnus could manage a few magic tricks with his tongue. It was narrower now, but much longer. He wound it around Omegas shaft just under the head. It could reach just about twice around and he let the tension cause pressure as he pulled back. After a while he revisited the slit at the tip and carefully prodded it a few times before gently sliding in. 

Omegas breath hitches and his back arches as you snake your way in, his eyes wide and his mouth open, gasping for air. He stays strained like this for a moment, then finally eases back, laying down on the sheet and closing his eyes with a huge twitchy smirk. " fffffffffuck... " he lets out blissfully, gasping when you begin to move. You feel him desperately trying to stay still and not buck up against you as you push in and out, rubbing his walls, having him bite down on his hand in a desperate attempt to keep it down. With every new movement you make, every new angle you take, his body gets a little more strained, more sweat coating his skull. After a while you can hear him whimpering, trying to say something, and you have to stop for a moment to hear him out. When you look up at him, you see his burning face being a complete mess, he's sweaty and out of breath, his eyesockets watering, his huge twitchy smile letting a bit of his blue saliva drip down his chin. He tries to blink the haze off of his eyes without much avail, then just whimpers more, a bit more clearly this time. " y-yarnus... ah... yar-ah... d-deeper, please... " 

Without a second thought Yarnus dutifully complies, sending the tendril in as deep as possible. His body pressed up against the large shaft, an arm wrapped around like a hug. He worked his tongue in and out and deeper until he felt the distinct pressure building up. Pulling back out he was rewarded with Omegas release. The sweet flavor filled his mouth and overflowed. 

Omega whimpers and moans with pleasure as he comes, letting you have it all. There really is way more than you can handle with your mouth, some spreading over your face and chest. Then it goes silent as Omega slumps down, his head thrown back, panting fast. Damn, you fucked him up good.  
Omega spends a moment just catching his breath, his eyes closed, his hands hanging in the air in a very silly manner, like a dog rolled over on its back. You are also a little out of it, just sitting on his femur, still tasting him in your mouth. Finally, Omega slowly gets up on his hands and looks down at you, and his expression immediately changes into horrified.  
"oh shit dude!" He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a tissue, leaning down over you to wipe your face and chest. "i-i'm so sorry! i meant to warn you but- i-it got real intense and i forgot- sorry!" As he worriedly helps you whether you want or not, his dick turns back into magic and seeps into his pubis. 

Yarnus can't help but chuckle as he's fawned over and takes one on the tissues to wipe off places that Omega's thick fingers can't reach. "It's ok, I don't mind..." he pauses and lets out a long gecko like tongue to clean the side of his own skull. "I like the way you taste". 

*End NSFW*

After a good wiping down he starts to look around the cave. "Where are we? Is this the cave we came in?" noticing the echo vine flowers on the walls. 

Omega seems relieved that you aren't angry with him for not warning you. He pushes you a bit closer into his lap for cuddles, leaning on the wall.  
"nah, i walked through the snow for an hour or two, then found this cave by the side of one of the mountains. it's actually a whole complex, but i thought this room was just good enough for the two of us to chill a bit before we move on, no need to go deeper ey?" He pauses for a moment, then smiles and hugs you tighter. "dude, that was amazing. havent felt that great for ages!" He pulls away, smiling amazedly, "where did you learn to do that?? i gotta say, i underestimated ya, i was afraid you'd be all shy and sheepish but damn, like damn, ya proved me the fuck wrong. fuck that was great!" He squishes you in his hug a little, kissing you on the skull. "thanks, i really needed that..." 

"Heh, well I had a troll friend when I was younger. We spent a lot of time together trying to gross each other out by sticking out our tongues when no one else was watching. You remind me of her in some ways." Yarnus softly rubs at the ectobelly reminiscing before blushing. "As for what I did with my tongue... I uh... well... there was something, someone, that was in the darkness under the tree. I learned it from them... kinda." He looked up uncertainly, "I knew it felt good, so I wanted you to feel good too." 


	11. Chapter 11 : Return of the RP

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ...and we're back! Actually we were too busy moving the story forward to go back and post more chapters, but now with the holidays out of the way we can start posting some more. In this chapter we have a mini-history lesson about Yarnus' home AU. I like to call it "Isle of Monsters" or IoM for short.

Omega pets your skull, still holding you close, humming in thought. "well i got no idea what a 'troll' is... n i also had no idea somebody was under the tree. are they okay? maybe we should help em out if they're stuck..." He shifts you onto one arm so he can pull his pants up and his shirt down. He also reaches aside and, after thoughtfully dusting them off, hands you your clothes. "if we find a hub n manage to call for help, i'm sure we could get the other folk stuck here a hand, too." 

"I'd like to do that too. The one under the tree sounded so sad, like he'd given up." Yarnus fits his clothes on and continues, "We didn't talk much, but I got the feeling they'd been there for a long time." He made his way over to fire to keep his bones warm. "Maybe I should practice storing my magic some more? If we do have to go back through that darkness I'll need it so I'm not so drained." 

Omega stands up, his head almost hitting the ceiling, and stretches his arms before him, groaning in comfort.  
"sounds like a good idea lill' man," he smiles at ya in his usual cheery manner, "n i can fix us some grub in the meantime. i maybe ain't the best cook, but i'm sure i'll be able to at least heat up some beans over the fire ey?"  
He sits down on the other side of the fire and pulls a few cans out of his pockets, inspecting each for its contents. He reads a few of the labels, then frowns. "uh, what?" He stares at the can confusedly, then shows it to you. "lookit dat, looks like i took a can of... 'explosion'. what the hell??" He shrugs and puts it back into his pocket. "well i got beans, some corn and... rice pudding. what would you like?" 

Yarnus reaches out for the last can, "I'm pretty hungry. I'll go for what doesn't have to be heated up." After finishing the pudding he leans back against a wall and tries to make himself comfortable. His hands run along the top of his pelvic bones mimicking the same motions from the previous morning. After a few attempts a thin membrane finally forms properly. Satisfied with his work for a moment he relaxes and watches Omega finish his meal. "What's it like outside the void, like in your world..." He pauses remembering that Omega said his world had been destroyed. "... I meant... Well you talk of being able to be rescued so I'm guessing you have some place you can go to?" 

Omega plops the can into the fire and pokes it around with a stick. His face gets a little sad at the mention of his word, but he quickly covers it up with another smile, not wanting you to feel bad for something you didn't deliberately cause.  
"well, we got this whole 'sansuary' thing goin on in one of the stable universes. a bunch of other sanses keep the place afloat pretty well, tho it still aint perfect. we're tryin to rescue as many unfortunate lost souls we can, or save crumbling universes from falling appart. my friends from there are a smart bunch, n they make up all these thingamajings and doodads n stuff to travel around and un-corrupt people and- well, the un-corrupting is still a work in progress - but they're workin real hard on makin the void a better place, heh..." He rolls the can out of the fire and leaves for a moment, coming back with a heap of snow that he rubs the can in to cool it down again. "i went back into the void to answer a call for help, but got lost. the equipment i got disappeared who knows where, i dunno if i lost it or if somebody stole it... so, once again, i was all alone n unable to return. i was alone and hungry and scared..." He looks away, holding the can in both hands, then gives you a friendly smile, "but then you saved me. i can't even tell ya how happy i am i got you."  
He sits down and opens the can with his bare teeth before pulling a spoon out of his pocket and getting to eat. "the universe i live in now is pretty small to me, but it's all cool, i got a lotta friends there. it's a universe where we figured out a way to create soul power, so the barrier has been down for a long time now and i get to go outside n chill in the sun, even got some human friends. tho the humans don't really appreciate us breaking their views of the world, heh." He stuffs his face with the beans, then watches you work with your magic belly for a while before speaking up again. "hbu? what's it like in your universe?" 

"Huh? I've actually never seen the sun. I've always wondered what it would be like...and stars. Most of the humans I've met had told me that they miss the stars most of all. We never really worked on breaking the barrier." Yarnus shrugged. "It was nice knowing that humans wouldn't bother us. All the humans I'd met didn't even know we existed outside of old stories. Some even made fun of us 'keeping the old ways' as they said." he made air quotes during his story. "It's kinda true though. Humans changed and we kept with traditions. I guess it was a way of holding on to the past. Way back before the war, when humans and monsters lived and worked together. Before the outsiders came and changed everything."  
Yarnus paused and noticed the look of confusion on Omegas face. "Not sure if it was the same as your world, but humans and monsters used to be quite friendly towards each other. Powerful monsters were sometimes called gods, but really they were not that much different than other monsters. Everything was well with the world, but then these other humans started to come and they didn't like us monsters. They told the humans that they also had powerful monster-gods from their lands and that humans should be working with their monster-gods and not the smaller ones we were." He paused and rocked a bit, "Some of our humans agreed with them and joined them, but most could see through their lies. We never saw any monster that sided with the outsiders. There was war. Humans and Monsters against the Human Outsiders. In the end we lost. What monsters were left fled to the island in the center of the sea. Human mages sealed us in. The barrier looks like a giant storm on the outside and that keeps most humans away." Yarnus' tale has passed it's darker parts and his face brightens. "When there is a real storm that passes over us we get human stuff along the beaches. My troll friend and I often are the first to look through debris. If we find any human shipwrecked she's the first to greet them and I judge them." Feeling like he's talked for long enough he pauses. 

Omega seems amazed by your story, even stopping eating to listen. When you finish, you can't help but feel a little... afraid. Homesick even. What if you never make it back? All of your friends must be worried sick about you and you have no way of letting them know you're even alive...  
Before you can slump into feeling even worse, Omega throws the rest of the beans into his mouth and gets up, leaving the empty, slightly charred can, on the ground. He comes to you and puts a hand on your shoulders, comforting you.  
"well i hope to sometimes see how it looks over there. you can give me a tour, ey? once we make it outta here, we can meet each other's friends n have a big party - with lotsa food!" He hugs you and you can't help but smile at his effort to make you feel better.  
"but we won’t be gettin outta here by just sittin around. how do ya feel? think we should go on?" 

"I think I'm feeling rather well rested and ready to move on." Yarnus stands and stares at his pack and then the fire. "Before we go I think I want to try to get my cuirass back in shape. It shouldn't take too much work." He removes the padding and sets the metal above the fire. "Did you see anything interesting on the way here? That other guy seemed to know where he was going." He busies himself by rocking the chest piece, keeping the heat in the center and trying to spread the sides apart. 

"not really tbh," Omega shrugs, "seems to be just snow and rock round' here parts. maybe we'd have more luck if we climbed up one n looked around? not sure it's worth the trouble tho." He watches you fix your armour curiously, in thought for a while. "haven't seen the lanky asshat either, wonder what he's up to... in my humble opinion he's got just as little of an idea of where he's headin as us. he's just tryin to look like he does, ya know, in front of the two of us. i don't trust him..." The magic fire helps you bend and shape your armour quite nicely, and soon it's done the way you need it to be. Maybe just a tiny bit off, but still fits your new form good enough for its purpose. 

Yarnus straps on his armor and is pleased with the fit. "If you don't trust him then I'd feel better keeping my armor on. He just seemed like a royal stick in the mud to me," he shrugged. "I've seen my share of those. They're mostly harmless." 

Omega mumbles something that's somehow both disagreeing and agreeing of your statement. As if he changed his mind halfway, deciding to trust you rather than be grumpy about a guy only because he was kinda rude.  
Once you're all ready, you extinguish the magic fire and walk outside, only to find a great snowstorm has started while you were inside. The snow isn't as deep as in the snowglobe earlier, but the sharp icy cold wind is so strong you can practically feel it knocking you over just by seeing it. No way you'd be able to walk through that, even if you traveled in Omegas parka like before.  
The only way forward is deeper inside the caves. Shrugging, you both agree that here in the void, it really doesn't matter all that much which way you go. You ascend deeper, following the widest tunnels so Omega can fit better.  
The caves are an enormous complex it seems, but far off the tiny claustrophobic dark caverns you passed through before. Here, a lot of tunnels lead into enormous openings, often with light coming in from the holes in the ceilings. Some are open, but too small to let in any of the harsh weather from outside, much to your liking. Other's have enormous holes, almost being more of ravines. These have Ceilings made of clear ice, Letting the light in without the wind. One can't be sure in the void, where almost everything exist without rhyme or reason, but they seem intentional, as if somebody designed them that way.  
Your walk is actually quite pleasant. The deeper you go, the more signs you can find of somebody passing by, possibly even living here. Cave markings, then actual signs in an illegible font, obviously crafted paths... Omega seems pleased by the findings.  
"if somebody smart lives around here, they totes gotta have a hub! i think we're on a good path." Then he proceeds to make a song about a buddy-o who owns a pretty patio. It's not very good textwise and makes little sense, but you have to admit it's sorta catchy.  
You go deeper and deeper, led by a trail of magic torches and old rails. Your hopes are sky high.  
Then finally, you find a person! Well, sorta.  
Mounted on the wall is a skeleton monster. Well, more so in the wall. You shiver when you see their bones transformed into rock along the length, permanently fixed to the rocky wall. Only a part of their torso and head are hanging off, their eyes tied with a grey dusty rag. At first you presume them to be dead, until you come closer and their head slowly rises, staring at you even through the obstruction. Despite their terrible state, they don't seem in pain.  
They stay silent, just staring. Omega steps aside, looking away, not wanting to face the horror. 

Yarnus remains silent as well and follows Omegas lead. It was one thing to talk to the different denizens of the void, but if they could pass by without much notice, that might be better. He reasoned with himself that striking up a conversation would only lead to more suffering of the monster when they left. He trusted that Omega knew much more about the void than himself. 

Omega put a hand on your shoulder, more likely to comfort himself than you. He lets out a sad sigh, watching the miserable creature continue to stare at you.  
"not much we can do," he sighs again, pain and sorrowness apparent in his voice, "let's go..."  
It's when you turn around that the creature speaks. Both of you flinch at the hoarse voice, sounding like the last word of a dying man.  
" A creature - of many eyes - is a creature - of many minds. - A creature - of no eyes - is a creature - of no soul or heart. "  
Both of you don't dare to turn around, slowly walking away.  
" A creature - of many eyes - is a creature - of many minds. - A creature - of no eyes - is a creature - of no soul or heart. "  
It repeats itself, in the same hoarse voice, over and over...  
" A creature - of many eyes - is a creature - of many minds. - A creature - of no eyes - is a creature - of no soul or heart. "  
You are ready to walk away, but... suddenly, your skull picks up... some other sound. Under the wheezing of the doomed skeleton, there's... something terrifying. At first you can't make it out, it only gives you the terrible feeling of dread. Slowly, it starts to get louder, closer, until Omega picks up on it too. The wheezing voice continues, the same thing, over and over. The cacophony of voices and noises gets louder, until it oversounds the voice. Then, from the darkness of the cave, lights begin to approach.  
A cluster of colourful circles slowly emerges from the black void beyond the light of the nearest torch. You can feel your marrow turn to stone with horror as the indescribable creature emerges, accompanied by its equally terrifying noise.  
Before you can even shake off the initial shock, the creature lifts up its mutated appendage and violently tears the still talking skeleton off the wall, crushing them like a pebble. 

"shitshitshitshitshit" runs through Yarnus' mind before he can vocalize anything. Grabbing onto Omega he whispers, "If many eyes, means many minds, maybe it's like your friend in the hammer room?" but then he looks at what used to be the talking skeleton. "...if not I suggest we run." 

Omega pushes you behind himself almost instinctively, stepping back, keeping his huge frame between you and the beast.  
"there's a big difference between a few and a few dozen minds tryin to pilot one deformed body," he says, his voice shaking, "this thing probably lost so many marbles it'd fill up the void." Despite his apparent fear he stares the creature right in its many eyes, not breaking eye contact. He very slowly and carefully lifts his arms up to the creature, trying to ignore the loud clicking of its many jaws.  
"come on big guy, i know you don't mean this," he begins to whisper, "yer just scared n confused, it's alright, it's alright... we don't wanna hurt ya, come on." The creature moves its head in many directions, as if not able to chose one, then finally stops, all of its eyes fixated onto Omega.  
" GRAAAAAAAAAH... GROUAAAAAAAAAH! "  
Its voice doesn't sound animalistic at all, it sounds like the moaning of a monster being, which somehow makes it so much worse.  
" AAAAAAAAAAHN....SSSSSSSS... SSSAAAAAHNS! " You could swear you can feel Omega shiver at the barely legible sound of his own name.  
" saaaaAAAAǍ͍̟̋H̯͇!̢̞̌̒ ̪̞̟͙̖̈́͞Sͨͣͣ͏̤̣͔̥A̸͓͕̭̹͔̻̓͒͌͊̑͋̚Á̶̟̝̞̻̮̱̿A̭͙̺̮͖͖̲͆̈Ạ̬͔͔̭͔̻͗̋̓͋Å̸̹̦̥̻͚̞̟̓̄ͫͭ͆͆A͖͚̞̰̯ͨͥͮ͐͟Ā͔̖͔̱̤̪͋̅̏ͩ̈́ͮ̀A̳̫͕̟̮̤̐ͦͫͧA̠̼ͫ͐̈A͚̘̤͉̬͓ͦ͞Ä̖̰͈̤̞̦̙́̾A̝̼̭͖̥͛͗̈̋ͫ͂́A͆͜Aͧ̈͊͒̉ͧA̖̘̯̟͗̄ͭ̕A̶̮̘̗̙͍̜̹A̵͕͎̭̟A̦̺͇̪͛́ĄͬͥͦͤNȘ̩̏͞ͅS̡͚̯̙̃̌͗̔Ṣ̳S̨̩̫̯̙̜̻͑ͫ͑ͩ!͖̇ "  
The creature begins to sloppily make its way towards you. You step back, but then realize Omega has not. He's frozen with horror. The creature beats its many deformed appendages into the walls as it tries to move faster towards you, all of its jaws opening and closing in a twitchy yet wavelike motion.  
" S͔̜͇͕͂ͯ̉́̏̾̚A̹̻̣͋ͧͩ̉ͯ͋ͨN͕͚̗̫̹̊ͅS̜̤̩͎̜͗̒ͅ!̪̯̟̂̂ ̮̲͍̺S͈͉͇̦̗̬̐̋͌̚A͚̣̙̪̝ͫ̌̎̈N͚̦̫ͣ̍̅S̞̖̹̮̏̍!͕̰̘̆̎!͈̜͑͊͂ͬ͟ ͨ͆S̸̘̘͓͍̲͖̎̆͑̀ͤ͛A̾҉͍̲͇͉͙ͅN̛̫̖̈́̉ͅS̺͕̘̜͎̼̅ͩ̆ͮ́̏ ̭͛ͤͬͣ͝S̤͉͇̖̥̎̔A͂̍̆̈́̾͢N͖͎ͭͦ̊͘S͚͈̈́́̑ ̥̩̱ͅS̤͕̳̞̖̠A̪̞̭͙̗͇ͩ̋ͮͫͤ͡N̳̦̖̩̋͋̅͂̆͂́S̘ ̾̾̅͝S̯̱̽͟A͎ͯͩ͒Ņ̼͂͗͂͆S̼̣̳̓͑̿ͩ ͍̫̙̅ͪ̿̋͒̋ͪS̊ͤ͐ͫ҉̹Ą̜͔͎͎̑ͦ̄̂͐Ǹ̗̖̂̑͑S͙̱͔̺͐ͦ͜ ̛̖̬̮̒̓ͪS̞̬̠̬̲͑̒ͪͬ̄̃̅A͚͍̹͡N̲͔̖̬̖̤͚̋̀S̸̑̿̓̅͆͗̈.ͥ̔ͫ̓ͪ.̞̘̦́͆̏̄̌.̷͉͇̣̂ͯ ̛̞̞̪̹ͤ̊͊̌ͩͯ̚Ĭ̴̯̻͐̔ͭ̅̈̒T̛͙̩̯̩͙̥̃ͭͨͬ ̭̼̟̹̀̂ͪH͈̪͑̊ͥ̆̏̈́U̺͑ͨͣ͐ͦ̄R͓̠͇̭ͯ̽͒̈͞T͋ͩ̏̓͗̈́̌͏̯̤̺͎͕̼S̰̪̖͖̻̿ͧ̒̄ ̧͉̺̼̮S͉̱͑͊ͣ̎A͕̪͂̎̃ͣ͐Ņͯ͂̆̂̇Sͭ̾̆҉ "  
You only have a few seconds to do something before the creature's jaws reach your friend. 

"He's not your Sans!" Yarnus shouts as he darts around the larger skeleton. "We're not your Sans!" Yarnus backs up into Omega hopefully knocking him back to reality. "We're not here to hurt you." His eyes constrict and begin to glow. If anything he could blind the creature in order to make an escape. 

The creature stops briefly at your words, giving you enough time to light up your eyes. Some of it still wants to attack Omega, a few of its jaws still wide open and ready to bite, but some of it gets distracted or doesn't want to attack anymore. Soon all of its eyes focus on you, briefly mesmerized by your light. You feel your insides cringe up when a few sockets begin to glow back, as if trying to show you they're in there, somewhere. You can't help but feel your eyesockets filling with tears at the thought of being a part of this being of perpetual suffering.  
But right after, all of it's jaws open again, and the creature makes an unnatural cracking sound, its spine coiling up like a spring as it lunges forward towards you.  
Mere miliseconds before your head would get crushed by it's many rows of teeth the creature is suddenly recoiled back. For a second you don't know what happened, only when Omega punches at the being again do you realize what just saved your life. The creature seems like it cannot figure out what's happening for a few seconds, which gives Omega enough time to land a few hits. Then it makes another wailing moan, scared, angry and painful, before lunging at Omega. The big skeleton grabs onto its biggest jaw with both hands, keeping the creature away enough to not get bitten, taking advantage of its poor sense of orientation to use its own strength against it. He pushes aside, then lets go and the creature rams its head into the wall, screaming in pain and frustration.  
Omega steps back, breathing heavily, you can see he's ready to continue fighting, but lets the creature collect itself.  
"come on," he whispers through his heavy breathing, "don't make me do this, i don't wanna hurchya." The creature doesn't react, getting back to chasing after you.  
Omega turns tail and begins to run out the cave, making you immediately floor it too. You run with the creature in pursuit, until you arrive into another huge cavern. A deep dark ravine is just by your side, and Omega stops once he sees it.  
"alright, come on," you can hear him mumble. You stop too, unsure, but trusting your big pal.  
The creature comes into the cavern, more lit up now. You can see limbs and deformed ribs and ribcages sticking out of its body on all sides, it's even more of a mess than you initially thought. Omega stands in its way, letting its eyes focus before lunging again. But this time, Omega doesn't have to even dodge.  
Its poor mobility and focus ends up being its literal downfall. Just a few clumsy steps and the creature stumbles onto the edge of the ravine, before its limbs begin to slip. The creature makes a horrifying pitiful scream as it begins to fall and soon its whole deformed body is over the edge. The last thing you see of it is its many fingered hands clawing at the wall before it disappears into the deep deep darkness.  
Then it's gone. Omega continues to pant in shock before slowly stumbling down on his knees and hands.  
"ah... shit.... " 

Those final screams are sure to haunt both of your dreams for a while. Keeping an eye out towards the ravine Yarnus makes his way to his friend. In another situation seeing Omega eye to eye with him on all fours would be amusing. "Are you alright?" he moves to give support in any way he can. "Are you hurt? Is there anything I can do?" Quietly he adds, "I'm sorry." 

Omega stays quiet for a while, his head down, taking deep slow breaths. Finally, he takes a deep final breath before looking up at you and forcing a smile.  
"heh, i've been better... but i'm alright." He slowly gets up, looking you over. "how are ya holding up tho? i've already seen some shit, but yer probably a lill shaken by that. don't worry, just try not to think about it. the void is full of em, poor things..." he mumbles, looking down the ravine. He looks away, shuddering, before turning back to you and giving you a tired smile. "heh, could've gone a lot worse ey? cheer up..." You wonder if he's really saying that to you or rather himself, but don't have much time to elaborate on the thought as he picks you up and hugs you quite tightly. 

Yarnus attempts to hug back just as tightly. "All these strange things scare me a little... okay... a lot sometimes. But I'd like to give them all a chance. After all, to them I might be the odd one." A small genuine smile crosses his face as he pats Omegas chest, "You even scared me for a little bit when I first met you. Just a little." He holds up his thumb and finger close together. After sharing the hug a bit longer he suggests, "How about we go on and see if we can find something more cooperative?" 

Omega chuckles sincerely at your way of talking, obviously glad you're helping him make light of the situation. He nods at your notion, just about to say something, but then, as if the Void itself heard you, a voice echoes from up above you.  
"Hello, up here!" You both look up at the speed of sound, Omega pushing you a little closer to himself reflexively. Up above you is another wooden platform, built to join two other smaller tunnels on the opposite walls of the cavern. Somebody rather small stands there, only thing visible from this far their white cloak and some device in their hand. Their face look a bit strange, too, but it's too far away to tell why.  
"I saw you getting attacked on my feed and rushed to your aid, but you seem to have disposed of the attacker yourself! Are you two okay? Should some of your possible injuries be tended to?"  
Whoever it is, they seem friendly.  



	12. All About That Soul

"Hello up there!" Yarnus smiles widely and looks to Omega excitedly. "We seem to be okay at the moment." Quieter he whispers to Omega. "Maybe he's the one that signaled you.... and what's a 'feed'." A look of horror flashes across his face, "Wait, that wasn't his pet was it?" 

Omega laughs, making you jump in his arms. "hahaha, nooo, don't worry! 'feed' means he probably saw us on some cameras!" You remain puzzled, but it doesn't seem like you'll be gettin any more answers.  
"Ah, that's well then! Please enter the exit on your left, I will come down to meet you!" With that he runs back into one of the caverns.  
You and Omega silently agree to do what he has told you, entering said exit. Soon, a bright white light approaches and with it, a small skeleton in a white clean labcoat. You realize now why his face seemed weird. The small skeleton has a white mask with some strange, microscope looking eyeholes on the upper half of his face, leaving only his smiling teeth to be seen. He puts down his device, which looks like a pistol of sorts, with a bright white light attached, and approaches you.  
"Hello gentlemen," he greets you, both kind and open, yet his hushed voice sounding mysterious and secretive. He outreaches a hand towards you, "my name is Perlo-ochk. Who am I having the pleasure to meet?" 

Quickly saluting with an arm across his chest, "I am Yarnus, Great Justicar of the Royal Court. My companion is Omega, Succorer of the Void." He grins up and gives Omega a wink. He may need to explain the title later, but for now it's best to roll with it. "Have you been here long? There was a call of distress he was investigating." 

Perlo looks very pleased to meet both of you, shaking your hand, then Omegas giant one. "Lovely to meet you both!"  
He looks a little puzzled at the mention of a call of distress. "A distress call? Couldn't have been from my hub, I haven't used it for ages... Well, I have been here for quite a while, doing my own research in solitude. I am trying to find a way to help those poor creatures of clustered souls..." he looks solemly to the ground. "I am ever so sorry, the creature that has attacked you - it was my own escapee! In my studies of how I could help these stricken by misfortune, it has been my primal subject. A couple days ago I wanted to check on its progress, hoping to find some sort of sense of communication left in the soul, but alas, I have ended up being the one in need to help! I managed to isolate the creature outside of my chambers, trapped in my own house by its neverending roam around the caves - until you've come! I saw you approach with my cameras," he pauses briefly in his exhausting speech, pointing to the ceiling where a small lense glistens in the halogen light, "and immediately knew that I had to come to your aid! You were clueless as to its presence! Luckily, you have outsmarted the beast. I shall retrieve it from the ravine later, after I've given you my welcome as thanks!"  
Omega seems happy about the friendly little guy, although a little confused and tired by the long speech. Perlo motions you to come with him, leading you deeper into the caverns until you reach a huge metal door.  
"Would you like to get something to eat, gentlemen? I shall give you whatever you may desire!" 

Yarnus follows along, smiling and nodding along at what he can only guess is appropriate times. From his guess, this little skeleton is something like the royal scientists of his home. Only this one seems to be bit more stable. "...something happened..." he murmurs during the walk through the caverns. Luckily, this was only overheard by Omega, who looked down at him with a puzzled expression. "I think I remember something that happened and how I'm here." Lowering his voice and leaning into Omega. "The Royal Scientists of my world rarely lasted long. I think I may have been too close to some sort of accident."  
Before there was any more discussion they reached the door. Addressing Perlo, "Thank you for your hospitality. It would be nice to eat something that didn't come from a can for a change, but truly I think we'd be happy for anything filling." 

Perlo-ochk claps his hands excitedly, ready to talk more, but gets interrupted by Omega.  
"meals sounds great n all, but didn't you say you have a hub?" His big toothy smile gets even wider, "can we use it please? we gotta call our friends to let them know we're stuck here."  
Perlo stays silent for what seems like more than it's necessary, his smile still present on his half covered face. Then he grins even wider, shrugging a little. "Yes! Of course you can!" Omega looks at you excitedly, but Perlo speaks up again. "Just... I'm afraid you won't be able to use it right away... you see, I have not used it for quite a while, and it need to be... put back in motion! I will get working on it right after I give you my tasty welcome." Omega seems estatic, following Perlo into the dining room.  
The dining room is a huge, beautifully decorated room with a long dining table and carved chairs with red padding. Omega is stopped from immediately sitting at the table, able to sit only after Perlo has brought him a bigger chair.  
"Sit down my friends, I will get the dishes, yes?" You sit down at the table, smiling when Omega shows you how he's able to balance a spoon on his nosebones.  
Soon, Perlo shows up again, bringing you the food. It's a huge chunk of cooked meat with boiled asparagus and potatoes. Looks absolutely delicious.  
"man, ain't this great? we get a meal AND the chance to use a hub! i can't wait to see my lill guy marcus again, hoo boy!" Omega says, grabbing for the fork. You smile at his ecstatic talk, but can't stop feeling like something is... øff. 

Yarnus and Omega dig into the meal. While Omega devours his in his usual manner, Yarnus takes his time and savors each bite. Meeting up with this 'scientist' had reminded him of home in a way. He regularly had to sit in with meetings between the king and guys like this Perlo fellow. When funding was concerned the scientists were apt to lie, or at least try to bend the truth in some way. The ones that knew about Yarnus' abilities had become skilled at noticing his power, but to be on the safe side he didn't want to make it obvious to this stranger. After activating his 'sight' just enough he slowly opened his sockets to a half-lidded state and followed the conversation going on between Perlo and Omega. 

You don't want him to notice your shining eyes, so you only glance at him with the corner of your half closed eyesockets but... you can't see nothing. Taken aback you try looking a little better, to no avail, getting more and more frustrated until you're glaring right at him without even realizing it.  
Usually you'd be able to see right into his soul and know exactly what he's up to but for some reason, you cannot read this Perlo fellow no matter how hard you look! You try adding more power, staring harder, until you realize you have gone so overboard he has definitely noticed. It's a little hard to tell where he's looking with the mask over his eyes. He tilts his head at you, giving you a smile that's sort of hard to read.  
"Say fellow, are you okay? Your eyes seem to be shining way more than it's usual..." The intonation of his voice doesn't sound concerned at all, and it makes you nervous, especially since your truth vision cannot seem to work! What is going on!?  
You start to feel a little woozy, from the extended use of your eyes or from the frustration - you can't tell. 

"Well shit, shit, shit ,shit" Yarnus thinks to himself. Covering his eyes he lets out a aggravated moan. "My apologies, I'm not..." pausing he realizes that admitting to what he was trying to do would not best. Although lying himself wasn't unheard of, but he was pretty bad at it. "...I'm not feeling well. All the excitement from earlier is starting to... have effects." It wasn't a really a lie, just a distraction from the truth. Uncovering his face he gives a slight awkward smile "I should be better after some rest."  
Yarnus looks to Omega and gives a wink. It felt wrong to lie like this, and now even trying to manipulate Omega into staying with him. Yarnus had the feeling that if they separated it would not be good for either of them. 

Omega gives you a wink back, playing along, but you notice something is off about him, his eye a little dimmer.  
Perlo doesn't answer for a moment, just staring at you with that same smile. Then, small chuckles begin to form, and he starts laughing. Both you and Omega are not sure what's so funny, getting more and more unsure every second.  
"Yes, I agree!" he exclaims, banging his hand against the tabletop, "you definitely should get some rest! Nothing like a good night's sleep, yes? Why don't you go on ahead now?"  
You don't know what he means, until... Omega begins to slump. He mumbles something weakly, then slowly slides off of his chair and falls to the ground, shaking the whole room with the impact. Your eyes go wide when you realize the dizziness is getting worse.  
The food was tainted. You're getting weaker and weaker, while Perlo just sits there and laughs. 

Yarnus stands up, or at least attempts to stand in a generally upright direction. "You... why..." Hanging onto the table he tries to make his way over to Omega. Trying to bend down to his friend, Yarnus instead crashes into him. "Wake... up..." he slurs pulling on Omegas parka. The futile attempt continues until Yarnus succumbs as well. 

In your last moments awake, you see Perlo walk over to you casually, smiling down at you.  
"Nothing personal," he scoffs with a grin.  
Then, everything goes dark...  
Your slumber is deep and devoid of dreams or rest. You feel as though you are carried away, off to somewhere far, unable to put up a fight. You could just cry, feeling so helpless, but your eyes are closed and you cannot move, completely surrounded by darkness...  
.  
..  
...But against all odds, you do wake up.  
The first thing that comes to your mind is the cold hard metal surface under you. Your skull hurts like it's full of glass shards, as you slowly sit upright, looking around.  
You're in a dark room that looks like some sort of twisted hospital. A few metal operating tables stand around, on one of which lays Omegas huge body! Seems like he's still out tho, not even the glow of his ectobelly is visible.  
Despite your fear, you aren't restrained, neither is he. Some kind of huge metal device stands next to him, huge tubes sticking out and coiling around. In the centre is a small lantern, spreading blue light onto the-  
Oh stars, that's no lantern.  
It's a glass vat containing a soul!  
You feel your own soul quiver with the realization that Omegas body is completely lifeless. 

For the longest time Yarnus sits in disbelief. The tubes, the soul, everything is beyond his comprehension. Slowly he slides off the table and makes his way to Omega. His soul is aching as he lays his hand on the big guys skull and looks up to the glow above him. The fact that he hadn't dusted is a small consolidation.  
Yarnus looks around the room, only looking and afraid to touch anything he finds. His mind races. Trying to return Omega's soul could end horribly without having the knowledge to do so. But how could he leave to find help? Who knows how far into Perlo's lair they were? Perlo's 'feeds' would track any movements he made. And...and...how did Perlo even move Omega?  
Distraught, Yarnus falls to his knees and begins to quietly sob. 

It's all too much, breaking you down on the ground. You hug your legs to your chest and for a while aren't able to do anything but cry silently into the silent hum of the room. Everything seems so bleak...  
But then, you feel... something inside you. A voice, except it makes no sound. It begins to hush you, comfort you in a way that cannot be described, instructing you on what to dø. It feels like a distant memory, something you can't put your finger on, the word on the tip of your tongue or the smell that evokes a memory that's just out of your reach. You have to gø, you have to get Ʊp, you have to sⱥvɇ yoursɇlℱ and yøur ℱriend.  
Takɇ the søul, it says, take yoƱr friɇnd's soƱl and get øut of this roøm, hɇ's cøming to dø the samɇ to yoƱ.  
ℏƱ℞℞ɏ 

"I-I would be next" He begins talking to himself, or to the voice, either way it was a way to comfort himself. Motivated now he moved to the glass vat and inspected the soul. Running his hands over it he pulled it out and held it close to his chest. It felt weird leaving behind Omegas body, but as long as his soul was safe, all would be well, right?  
He didn't dawdle much longer and took off down a quiet corridor and into the maze of tunnels they had been adventuring through not long ago.  
  



	13. Dark Alliances

You find your backpack next to your operating table, but a lot of it has been taken away. All there is now is a can opener, a length of rope, the ingot of gold and two hammers. Seems like he took all your cans for whatever reason, and your trusty cuirass. Bastard.  
You hold the vat to your chest, feeling the warmth of Omegas soul resonating from it into your ribs. Even Omegas soul is bigger and bulkier than most, which you'd find a little humorous, but you definitely don't feel like laughing now. You Get out the door and silently tip toe around the dark hallways. Who knows what lurks around in here.  
You aren't familiar with these halls, they branch out like a maze, and soon you're completely lost. The hopeless feeling returns, but the voice inside you keeps you going. You take a deep breath and go on.  
You arrive into another huge lab room. You stop, staring at a giant vat containing some... -body? -thing? Four heads clinging onto one neck, many deformed arms clinging to it's ribcage. It seems asleep, but alive, from the twitching of its many hands. A lot of papers and books are scattered in the room. You try to read some of them, but they don't make much sense to you, the same way Perlos excessive talk did.  
You almost jump a meter high when you hear the door behind you creak open. Quickly you scramble on the floor and hide in the first spot available, behind a huge metal console next to the glass vat. You sit there with your breath hushed, your eyes fixated onto the door. Somebody comes in, slowly and silently walking around. At first you think it's Perlo, but they seem a little too tall to be him...  
Once they come into the light, you recognize them. It's the grumpy tall skeleton with a shawl around his side. Seems like he's sneaking about just like you. 

Omega had said he didn't trust this skeleton and Yarnus was not really in the mood to take too many chances. While activating his eye would give him away, he didn't believe this skeleton would take him as a threat enough to attack. Slowly he allowed his eye to glow, checking to see if this fellow was as unreadable as Perlo was. Since he hadn't really used his power in the void or before eating the tainted food, he wasn't even sure if it would work like he was used to.  
Once noticed, Yarnus tried to quickly shush the tall skeleton. If they were both victims of Perlo, it wouldn't do well to cause a ruckus. 

You don't see any kind of ill intentions in the tall skeletons soul. What you see it fear and sadness, but only through your magic vision. On the surface, he looks just as stone cold and serious as before.  
He jumps back when he notices you, but doesn't make a sound or attack. You quickly shush him and reveal yourself so he knows you don't mean to attack. The tall skeleton frowns, putting his disgusted look back on. Geez, what a stuck up prick.  
Despite his grumpiness, he comes over and squats into the hiding place with you. The shawl is tightly bound around his chest and he holds it down under his arm, as if protecting it from you. Once he's sure you're alone, he growls silently.  
" WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE? " he snarls silently, as if this whole thing was somehow your fault. 

"Hopefully the same as you. Escaping!" Yarnus is still trying to match the tall skeleton's demeanor even though part of him is excited to see that he may be an ally yet. "And if you come across a masked 'scientist'." That word is starting to leave a bad taste in his mouth. "Feel free to beat him within an inch of his life. I'll need him alive to fix my friend." Yarnus moves the vat into the backpack, but instead of slinging it behind him, he cradles it in his arms with one strap around his shoulder. Taking on an air of authority, "We need to get moving. Perlo will know I'm gone soon and come after us." 

"HMPH!" the tall skeleton turns away, "WHO DIED AND PUT A SHRIMP LIKE YOU IN CHARGE... BUT I SUPPOSE I DON'T HAVE MUCH CHOICE IN THIS MATTER. MY SITUATION IS SIMILAR TO YOURS. AN ALLY COULD BE VERY USEFUL IN SUCH A DIRE SITUATION." Then he smirks a bit which surprises you. You didn't think he was capable of a smile.  
"AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO TELL ME TWICE TO BEAT THAT FOUL MAN UP. I WOULD GLADLY BREAK EACH OF HIS RIBS ONE BY ONE."  
He gets up, carefully looking around. He gestures you to come out as he walks towards the door. He leads you through the hallways, pretty sure of where he's going, until you find one of those huge metal doors. A small numbered keypad is next to it, but that is all.  
"I FOUND AN EXIT, HOWEVER, IT IS LOCKED. ANY BRILLIANT IDEAS ON WHAT TO DO?" 

Yarnus stares at the keypad curiously. Not noticing anything that would reveal the code. "I'm afraid that picking elek-tronic locks was not part of my royal duties." He turns away and looks for any clues nearby, just as he had found near the door Omega was locked behind. "Unless he used his own name somehow. His full name sounded like something-lock. Perhaps you've come across a code before? You seem to know this place pretty well." 

The other skeleton folds his arms over his chest, raising an eye arch. "OH, I SEEM TO KNOW THIS PLACE? I ONLY HAPPENED TO RUN IN CIRCLES FOR A FEW HOURS, THANK YOU!" By now you think this guy would find anything you say offensive and worthy of more scoffing. He reaches into his shawl and pulls out a paper, showing it to you.  
"THIS COMPLEX SEEMS ENORMOUS. I TRIED TO MAKE A MAP, BUT EACH CORNER IS THE SAME, SO I ENDED UP JUST COUNTING THEM. YOU MAY HAVE A LOOK."  
On the paper are a few blocks, representing the rooms he had come by. There's 19 by 22 blocks, and on the edges of the paper are numbers representing how many more block there were. Horizontally there's 23 on the top and 22 on the bottom, including the 19 in the middle. Vertically there's 16 on the left and 26 on the right, including the 22 blocks in the middle. 

Yarnus just stared at the grid turning his head this way and that before turning it completely upside down and pondering at it. Glancing up at the tall skeleton he could see it on his face that he was losing every ounce of respect he thought he had with the fellow. Resigned he handed the map back, "That's well over a hundred rooms. You've been busy." 

The tall skeleton tears the map from your hands. "OVER A HUNDRED? OVER A HUNDRED?!" He seems really angry with you. "OF COURSE IT IS OVER A HUNDRED! THERE'S OVER FOUR THOUSAND YOU PRIMITIVE IMBECILE!" Then he quickly goes quiet again, realizing he probably shouldn't shout. He put the paper on the ground and takes out a small pencil to show you the error of your way, not sparing you any of his disrespect. What a jerk.  
"23 BLOCKS PLUS 19 PLUS 22 EQUALS 64 - THAT IS ONE SIDE. 23 BLOCKS PLUS 22 PLUS 19 IS ALSO 64 BLOCKS. 64 TIMES 64 IS..." he spends a moment calculating, "4096 BLOCKS IN TOTAL. I HAVE SCALED THIS AWFUL PLACE UP AND DOWN, BUT ALMOST EVERY ROOM IS LOCKED! FROM MY CALCULATIONS I PRESUME THIS DOOR WILL LEAD US OUTSIDE IF... WE..." He stops, staring at the final number of rooms. Then he lifts a hand and writes the number 4096 into the keypad.  
With a mechanical whirr, the door opens.  
You can feel his dumb winning smirk staring at you, but decide not to give him the satisfaction of acknowledging it.  
You enter the metal room to find you've made it out of the hallways and into the more familiar cave system. The tall skeleton immediately takes lead, walking into one of the tunnels and stopping, turning to you and stomping his foot impatiently. You quickly follow.  
Still holding Omegas soul to your chest you wonder... what even is the plan now? Does this tall jerk even know where he's going?  
...What is his name, anyway? 

Yarnus follows along behind the jerk. His long strides force him to nearly jog to keep up. Despite his protests this guy does seem to know more than he let's on. Little is said between the two for what feels like ages. At a crossroad they pause for a moment before he speaks up. "I'm not sure if you remember my name from before, It's Yarnus. I never caught your name." Yarnus pauses before asking, "Was this your world... or did you come here through the void like me?" 

The tall skeleton looks down at you, measuring you up and down with his stern look. Even without your truth sight you know he's hesitant to let you close to him, although you can't be sure for what reason. Probably has something to do with whatever is in his shawl...  
Then, he looks away again, closing his eyes and sighing.  
"IT'S TZACLKRATZ THE HORRIBLE. YOU MAY CALL ME TZACL WHEN YOU WISH TO SPEAK TO ME - BUT DON'T WASTE MY TIME WITH UNIMPORTANT GARBAGE, I AM NOT ONE TO BE BOTHERED!" He looks around, then goes to the left. Once you catch up he resumes talking. "I DO NOT WISH TO SHARE ANY MEMORIES OF MY OLD WORLD WITH THE LIKES OF YOU - AND I DO NOT CARE ABOUT YOURS JUST THE SAME! SO STAY QUIET AND..." He trails off, realizing you've arrived at the very same crossroad.  
Tzacl puts a hand on his chin, squinting his eyesockets. He looks to you and you flinch when he whips a hand towards you, only to point at you dramatically.  
"AT LEAST YOU'RE PROVING TO BE USEFUL! YOU - GO THAT WAY, AND I'LL GO THIS ONE. IF YOU FIND ANYTHING OF NOTE COME BACK THE WAY YOU CAME AND WE SHALL MEET HERE."  
Without even making sure you understand he walks off in his usual stern way, like a very grumpy soldier. You're left alone once more, only you and Omegas soul pressed against the glass to be closer to you. You can't help but wonder if he's by his sense in there... does he feel anything in this form? You'll have to ask him once you bring him back.  
Not having much else to do you enter the said corridor. You walk through the tunnel, illuminated by mushrooms small that glow a sickly green colour growing on the walls. You go for a few good minutes, then suddenly spot a silhouette in the faint light. Looks like somebody very big, doing something on the ground. You can't tell much of anything from this distance, but at least they haven't noticed you yet. 

Remembering Perlos mention of retrieving the many-eyed-monster, Yarnus creeps away slowly and tries to return to the crossroads. The thought of crossing paths with it or any large crazed creature doesn't sit well with him now that he's without his armor.  
Once he's at the crossroads he waits for Zack-Crack to come back. What kind of world did he come from where being 'horrible' was worthy of being a title? Maybe Yarnus didn't even want to know. 

You get to the crossroad, but nobody is there. Seems like Tzacl is still out there.  
You wait a few minutes, feeling a little... scared. You're all alone, clinging to the glass vat, listening to the ever present hum. It seems as if Void itself makes the hum. Sometimes you forget about it and manage to push it out of your mind, but just like breathing, once you think about it it won't leave your mind.  
Ah great, now you can't stop thinking about how you breathe. Good think you don't have your tongue materialized, heh...  
Suddenly, through your breath, you hear a sound coming from the cavern you came out of. Seems like you got too carried away, now it's too late to hide before they reach you. You hold the vat closer, staring up at yet another enormous skeleton.  
This guy is huge, but in a different way than Omega. His chest is broad and his teeth jug out of his face like from a bent rake. On his back he has an enormous rucksack and he's wearing a long brown coat. He stares down at you with a look that's dumb, but not animalistic. They might not be-  
You don't even get to say anything as the big skeleton grabs you by the strap of your kilt, lifting you up. You struggle but the hold is incredibly strong, no matter how hard you kick back you can't get free. Before you can think up some plan to get free, another smaller figure approaches from the darkness.  
"zero, put that down! you don't know where it's been." The voice sounds sleazy and wily, as if smiling for all the wrong reasons. You're thrown back down, clutching onto the vat so it doesn't break with the impact. The huge skeleton steps back and the smaller one comes closer to you, revealing himself.  
A big crooked smile and the bags under his eyes give this guy the most shady look you can imagine. He rubs his chin, looking you up and down, then clicks his tongue, tapping all of his boney fingers together.  
"well well, what do we have here? a small traveler it seems... say, what is somebody as small as you doing here all alone?" He doesn't let you respond, gesturing at his big companion who grabs you again, pinning you to the wall. "ha, what do i care? you're not very smart to go around these parts all by your lonesome, something might... happen to you. like..." he reaches out and grabs on the top of the glass vat, " someone might strip every last bit of your belongings off of you and throw you down a ditch. " You let go of the hand on your neck to grab the vat tighter, only making the small skeleton chuckle. "now now, we can do this the easy way or the hard-"  
"YOU! GET YOUR FLIMSY HANDS AWAY FROM HIM! HE IS MY TO MESS AROUND WITH!" Both skeletons step away from you as Tzacl walks in, slapping the big skeletons hand off of you. You'd never believe you'd be this glad to see this jerk.  
The two skeletons back off, the small once again tapping his fingers together. He shrugs and gestures the big skeleton to back off, coming back to his sleazy smile.  
"ah, well then, pardon us mister. we had thought this-"  
"WELL YOU THOUGHT WRONG!" Tzacl yells, folding his arms. The small skeleton crooks a frowning eyebrow at him, then looks to you with a smile.  
"i apologize, it's nothing personal amigo, it's just business." He joins his hands together, tangling his fingers and rubbing them together like some sort drug dealer. "speaking of business..."  
The big skeleton unrolls his coat and show you all kinds of goods he's hiding inside. There's silverware, watches and clocks, knifes, weapons, many many cans and various doo-hickies you know nothing off. The small skeleton begins to show off all they've got.  
"might you be interested in a trade? harmonius and dumbell have all that you need. tired of being assaulted by those pesky amalgamated abominations? if you buy two grenades you get a third one for free. or maybe ranged weapons are more of your style? we have any kind of-"  
"SILENCE! YOU'RE GIVING ME A HEADACHE YOU SLIME FILLED POSTERIOR!" Tzacl yells, tired of his bullshit. The other skeleton raises his hands and bows, stepping back to let Tzacl see the inventory, although he doesn't seem too interested.  
"I DON'T WANT ANY OF YOUR JUNK, I JUST WANT TO BRING MY WRATH ON A CERTAIN FOUR EYED IMBECILE THAT RUNS THIS CURSED PLACE!"  
The face of the salesman brightens again, despite still looking as shady as before.  
"information is just as good of a good, for a good price of course..." 

Yarnus stands and dusts himself off. Still suspicious of the new pair he stares at the doohickeys and whatchamacallits wondering if any of them were what was stolen from Omega. Information. If that is what Tzacl wanted, then he shouldn't have any problem paying for it. He pulled out the gold ingot and held it up but clearly out of reach of the two. "How about you answer any and all of questions we have.... and one item from your stock?" He looks to Tzacl for approval before making any official deals. "One catch though... one lie and the deal is forfeit." 

Tzacl squints his eyes at the golden ingot, growling.  
"THAT ITEM OF YOURS LOOKS MIGHTY FAMILIAR LITTLE MAN," he leans down to you, showing of his fangs, "HAS THAT INGOT, BY ANY CHANCE, COME WITH A SHOE?" You can't do much but smile sheepishly before he tears it out of your hand, scoffing. "YOU'RE LUCKY I'VE GOTTEN THE SAME IDEA AS YOU, WEASEL..." He turns back to the salesmen. "YOU'VE HEARD THE WIMP, WE DEMAND YOU ANSWER OUR QUESTIONS AT ONCE!" Then he gives you a fleeting look. "AND ONE ITEM OFF OF YOUR INVENTORY."  
The salesmen seem very interested in the gold, the smaller one immediately twiddling his thumbs excitedly. "sound like a good deal! what are your questions? we'll answer to our best ability."  
"I DEMAND TO KNOW EVERYTHING YOU CAN TELL ME ABOUT THIS PERLO PERSON. ESPECIALLY WHERE HE IS AND HOW CAN I EXTRACT MY REVENGE ON HIM FOR DARING TO DISRESPECT TZACLKRATZ THE HORRIBLE!!!" The salesmen seems untouched by Tzacls drama.  
"perlo-ochk is a man that had come one day, uninvited into the violet laboratories. since then, we call them the violent laboratories. many come in, but few come out... altho, heh, the soul count stays the same, you see." You find it disturbing how little tact he has about the terrible fates of those amalgams. "we don't know what he's trying to accomplish, and we don't care. he sells us the items he gets from the ones he... disposes off. that is all that matters to a businessman, such as myself." You're getting a strong urge to punch him right in the face. "as for where you can find him... he often resides in the lower labs, doing who knows what with those big clusters of unfortunate suckers. if you want to settle accounts with him, i'd advise you to find a way to rid him of his weapons first. he's not worth the air he breathes without his precious tools."  
Tzacl chuckles maleficently, while the small salesman turns his eyes to you. "any more questions?" 

Yarnus watches for traces of lies while the salesman speaks. The violet labs for some reason sound familiar to Yarnus, like a slight buzz in his skull. Shaking it off he looks over the goods. "Did you come across any interesting items lately, that did not come from Perlo? My other, larger, companion misplaced something of his a little while back. If so, I would like it back." 

The saleskeletons look at each other and the smaller one goes behind the big one to search through the rucksack.  
"hmm... we did get this sword, found in a mammal carcass in a ravine. is this what you're looking for?" he hands you a small short sword. It looks very good and sturdy, made from some strange metal that looks sort of like mother of pearl, yet feels like good solid iron. A good weapon, but hardly what you were looking for. "other than that, there hasn't been anybody coming along these past few weeks... perlo is a good partner, but he scares all our potential customers away. how saddening." 

Yarnus weighs the sword, not what he had hoped to find but at least it was something he could find useful. With his weak external magic this would come in handy if he had to fight. and just maybe it would discourage another skeleton from harassing him because of his size. "I doubt this was his, but I'll accept it." Yarnus tucks the hilt up under his belt. "These 'tools' of Perlos? What do you know of them? I've only seen a light 'stick' and that mask of his. Or are you talking about his amalgamates?" 

It seems the other small skeleton finds your lack of knowledge amusing, much to your annoyance.  
"hohoho, well, everyone is from a different place, aren't we?" he wipes his nose with the back of his hand. "do you know what ranged weapons are? i suppose you do, well, imagine one that can shoot projectiles a hundred times faster than you soul beats. now imagine a whole dozen of those. that's just an example. perlo is dependent on his weaponry, which is dependent on electricity. i suggest you first take out the source of that, that way you'll strip him of his automated defences. you will still have to look out for his personal defence however. i know of his blaster pistol and the tooth dagger in his boot, but be careful. with a guy like him, you never know what he has up his sleeve."  
He stops for a moment, shifting his eyes away and thinking.  
"hmm... if you want to rid him of his power, you first need to know where the source is. if you follow this path, you will find the electric lights, and if you follow the cables, you should be able to find where they come from." He smirks again. "a little free advice for you, because, let's face it, perlo is destroying our economy ain't he? hohoho..." His eyes fixate upon the gold, his fingers tapping together faster.  
"may i have my pay now?" Tzacl holds the gold closer and looks at you, waiting if you have any more questions. 

"I can't think of anything else...unless..." Yarnus almost signals for Tzacl to release the funds, "Do you know anything about a 'hub' or someone who was trying to send a signal outside of the void?" 

The salesman smiles widely. "oh, you're this kind of void traveler aren't you? how funny you should ask... i know where a hub may be." He smiles wider and looks away nonchalantly. 

The saleskeleton didn't even have to look back to feel the stare aimed at him, "...and I believe this deal is forfeit if y o u t e l l O N E L I E " Yarnus eyes blaze and then back off. "Perlo mentioned it had to be set in motion. Is it attached to his power source and what do you know about it?" Yarnus snatches the gold from Tzacl and holds it out signaling that the deal was finished after this question. 

The saleskeleton looks at you funny. "perlo? having a hub?? there never was a hub in these here parts! if he told you he does, he lied." He tries to lean closer to you, but you pull away, but he doesn't seem to mind. "i know where a hub is, a real one... but that information is way more valuable. i will tell you, once you kill that dumb little blabbermouth."  
  



	14. Setting Fire To The Rain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As you could tell from the previous chapter, there's imminent character death in this chapter. Not that anyone is going to miss the bugger.

So much for the chance to call Omegas friends for help. Yarnus sighs and hands over the gold ingot. "We may be doing business again then." Any trace of a smile was gone from his face when he said that. 

It's like if you shifted all of your ability to smile onto the saleskeleton. He grabs the gold ingot hungrily, then pets is like small animal. "good, good... pleasure doing business with you." You can't say the same back. "well, time to part our ways... once you have killed off that slippery snail, come back in these parts, i'm sure we'll find each other sooner or later..." With that, both skeletons turn away and walk off, leaving your way to the electric lights open. Tzacl doesn't seem too pleased with you taking the lead with the deal, but all he does is fold his arms and turn his nosebones up. That guy is more stuck up than a taxidermied snake.  
You step out on your way, holding the glass vat closely. Omegas soul always presses to the glass closest to you, even if you turn the vat around. 

Yarnus didn't care for their options. Not that they really had many to choose from. From their interaction with the thug/saleskeletons Tzacl seemed to be blinded in his rage against Perlo. They walked, following the cables through the caverns in silence. Except with the occasional muttering from Tzacl, probably hatching some sort of plan.  
"If... no... when we're out of this mess. I'll repay you. If I can ever get back home I'll ask the king to pay you three-fold." In afterthought using his gold wasn't a good idea, but the only thing they had. 'Businessmen" like that wouldn't just let them walk away without any sort of a deal. 

Tzacl looks at you, growling under his breath before speaking. "OH, IF YOU CAN GET HOME, VERY REASSURING. I AM SURE SOON I WILL BE, AHEM, 'ROLLING IN THE DOUGH', AS YOU LOW LIVES SAY." He makes the quotation marks with his fingers and everything. "I DON'T NEED YOUR PITY, I DON'T NEED ANYBODY'S PITY!" he yells, then walks faster, but despite him probably not meaning to you catch him growling under his breath, "ESPECIALLY NOT MY OWN..." 

"Low-life? Why I oughta..." Yarnus hushes himself before he incurs any more of his fellows wraith. Running after him he brightens his eyes just to make sure he doesn't fall and break Omegas vat. Catching up he continues, "Listen, I'm a Justiciar, we normally work in pairs. And since she's not here and he's not here either," he pauses and holds the vat against his ribs. "I need you."  
Before anything could get any more awkward he quickly adds ,"I believe the humans referred to it as 'good cop - bad cop' If you know what that means." 

Something about what you says seems to appease the grumpy jerk. Instead of throwing more insults at you he puts his hands behind his back and raises his head.  
"HMMM... FINE. HAVE IT YOUR WAY. I MUST ADMIT YOU DO HAVE CERTAIN QUALITIES A SKELETON SUCH AS MYSELF COULD FIND USE OF. YOUR EYE ILLUMINATION IS ONE OF THEM." He looks down at you with the same stern look. "I SUPPOSE, IN A WAY, WE HAVE ALREADY BECOME A... 'PAIR'. IN A STRICTLY PROFESSIONAL WAY. IT WAS ME WHO HAD SAVED YOU FROM THOSE TWO FLIMFLAMMING CRETINS." You aren't sure if that's actually a word, but he doesn't seem to care.  
You go along the powerlines, your eyes illuminating the scene from time to time when you get in between the white bright lights where it's dark. It's a very long way to go, you walk for at least an hour, until you reach another metal door, this time one that's a little more flimsy and rusted. All kinds of cables lead inside the room behind them. black and yellow stripes on the top and bottom of the door are barely visible through the dust and rust.  
"THIS MUST BE IT," Tzacl exclaims, "BUT I DON'T SEE ANY KEYPAD..." He begins to look around the door, while you notice that the door is ever so slightly open. in the middle is a tiny bit of space, just enough for you to look inside. When you do, you can see the flickering light of electricity. Yep, sure is what you're looking for. But how to get inside... 

Yarnus carefully sets Omegas soul to the side and throws all of his weight against the rusted door. It barely moves, only giving a small squeak. The opening isn't big enough for him to get any leverage on it. Turning to Tzacl, "Can you summon a large bone? Perhaps we can pry it open? Otherwise I might could wiggle through." Yarnus ponders his actions. 

Tzacl turns his attention to you, then to the door. He rubs his chin, then gestures you to leave the door.  
"STEP ASIDE, I SHALL TAKE CARE OF THIS..." You do as he tells you, quickly taking the vat back into your arms. Tzacl waits for you to get behind him before taking a wider stance, lifting his arms up and summoning his magic. It's quite amazing to see actually, Tzacl must have exceptional control over his powers. From the dark, almost brownish-red magic, a set of giant bones comes to life and the next second they're chugged against the rusty door. You just watch in silence as Tzacl continues to attack until the metal plates are completely obliterated.  
You can't help but be a little amazed, which Tzacl promptly notices. He smirks confidently and does a little pose, but it only takes a second for him to get grumpy again.  
"COME NOW," he says, entering the room. You follow.  
The room is quite huge. A circular hole lit up from within is in the centre of the room, with many tubes and cables leading inside. You carefully look in to see it's a pit full of searing lava. The building must be gathering it's heat for power. The tubes and cables are all hooked on a giant rusty machine that makes a consistent hum. Ugh, here you go again, thinking of the hum. Ah well...  
Despite the hot air from the hole, the room is not as hot. You wonder why this is, looking around, until you find a cooling system installed by the ceiling. Seems to be based on cold water brought from the surface. A genius way to take advantage of the elements, but sadly it hasn't been maintained for a long time. Some of the pipes leak and are barely kept together. 

Yarnus goes to inspect the humming box, the vibration of the hum feels like it's grinding on his bones. "Although destroying all this would have it fully out of condition. Maybe just turning it off would give us enough time. Though.... Perlo may not be the only one concerned with the power being out." Tapping his a finger on his jaw bone he looks around.  
The knocking out the cooling system could be seen as an accident, but could cause more damage. "I think we could try to unhook the humming box and maybe hit some of those leaking pipes to keep anyone from coming in and making repairs. He pulls out the pair of hammers and only half halfheartedly offers one to Tzacl. It's not like he'd need to use one though. 

Tzacl doesn't accept your hammer, leaving you to awkwardly stand there with your arm outreached until you throw it back into your backpack grumpily.  
"I SHALL TAKE CARE OF THE PIPES. MY ATTACK WILL REACH THEM BETTER THAN YOUR SHORT HANDS." You can't even tell if he's trying to be a dick or just is without trying. His demeanor is about as pleasant as wet socks.  
You carefully look around the box for something that could turn it off. You can't find any direct input, but you do find a socket that is unlocked. When you pull it out, the humming stops and the machine stops working. Looks good.  
Tzacl forms a few bones, but then turns back to you. "HOW MUCH DAMAGE SHOULD I INFLICT?" he asks, which kinda surprises you. You'd expect him to do whatever he wants but instead he wants to hear your opinion. Strange. 

The question makes him pause for a moment. "Just enough to make it annoying to fix. I don't really know anything about these hubs, so if it needs power we might have to come back to fix this." Yarnus moves back towards the door. Since the tall skeleton uses fire magic he might be able to withstand the increasing temperatures better than Yarnus. Once a safe distance away he yells out, "Let 'er rip!" 

It's quite far away and just for a split second, but you could swear you saw the tall skeleton smirk at your exclamation. He throws a few longer sharper bones in the air and they make a beautiful arch, slicing a few of those pipes along their length. water begins to seep out, but not as much as to damage the equipment. Some of it goes down into the lava pit and the room becomes a humid sauna really fast. "LET'S LEAVE NOW, IN CASE ANY SORT OF ATTENTION WILL BE BROUGHT UPON HERE." You quickly rush out of the room into the now dark caverns.  
"NOW, WE MUST FIND THE MAIN LAB... I SAY WE FOLLOW THE BIGGEST AMOUNT OF ELECTRIC CURRENT. SEEMS TO ME LIKE IT COULD LEAD TO WHERE WE NEED TO GO." 

He couldn't agree more, leading the way since he was literally the only source of illumination besides Omegas glowing soul. Following the largest of the cables all the way until there was no further trace of them. In the dark Yarnus caught his breath. He had thought that his endurance was better than this, but the hum of the void seemed to be more noticeable and somewhat draining, just as Omega had described. Once they had both rested a moment Yarnus brightened up the area to see where they had ended up. 

Yet another metal door it seems, except this one.... is absolutely enormous. You light your eye around like a flashlight, wincing in shock when you notice huge claw marks all around the surrounding rock. The claw marks don't look like they've been made by something normal, too many fingers, strange directions... No, whatever made these was not a natural creature. You can't help but gulp.  
This time, even if you knew the code, with no power the door would not work. Luckily for you it's partially torn by the claw marks, leaving a good long hole for you to extend with Tzacls bone attacks. It's not long until the way is open. You can tell not even the tall skeleton is ready to go in.  
Despite your fear, you enter the hallways behind, clinging the vat to your chest even tighter. The warmth and excess magic resonating from Omegas soul into your ribs calms you down the least bit, and so you press on. Lighting the way with Tzacl following.  
The sides of the long hallway have enormous machines installed in them, not inactive without power. They look like very strange narrow canons... are these the automated defenses? Seems like it. You remember the saleskeleton saying how fast they can fire and are glad they're all turned off. When you reach the other side of the hallway, another giant door appears before you, this time open. Behind is an enormous room, slightly lit up with the same white light. Finally, there's a sound. Fumbling, cursing. He's there alright. And he doesn't seem to be happy about his power being out.  
Another sound catches your skull before you enter. The same mumbling and moaning, but much quieter. Somehow it sounds more pitiful than you remember. 

Yarnus hunkers down in a safe spot and motions for Tzacl to follow his lead. "We can't kill him just yet. We need to capture him and make him fix my friend first, then you can have your revenge..." Yarnus cringes at the ideas floating through his head, "... however you like." Yarnus quietly unloads the backpack to make room for the glass vat, whispering to it and pressing his skull gently against the glass before slipping it in. The can opener was still on the bottom, the two hammers were tucked into his belt and the rope slung over his shoulder. Waiting in the dark they listen more before taking any more actions. 

You can hear Perlo stumbling around and cursing, the jumbled noise of the many-eyed creature slowly picking up. When it gets too loud for his liking, you can head a loud sharp clack and the creature yelps before getting quiet again.  
"SHUT UP! You cluster of idiots, you've cost me way too much trouble already!" A sound of fumbling paper is heard. "Now my defenses are down, the duo of handling cheepskates are nowhere to be found and that little yellow idiot and his fat cretin of a friend are loose somewhere in the labs! Why is the power out?! WHY IS THE DAMN POWER OUT?!?" It seems Perlo is so big mouthed he talks too much even to himself, much to your profit. "If I have to use those brain dead sacks of bones again, ARGH! It's too much mess to clean up!" The creature begins to weep silently, followed by another loud strike and a painful yelp. "I SAID SHUT UP!!! "  
You're getting mad, but it's nowhere as mad as Tzacl is getting. You don't know why exactly, is he really so mad at Perlo for, uh, "disrespecting him"? It seems like there's more to it. 

"I've met that poor tortured creature before. But it's the other one he mentioned that has me worried." Yarnus looks to Tzacl wondering if he knew either of the monsters mentioned. "If I charge him, I can blind him and knock him out before he has time to release any of his 'experiments' on us. You can keep an eye out for any other threats and pin him down if he tries to escape. That is, unless you have any other plans. Your tactical magic is far better than mine, I have to rely on my sword." Yarnus then readies the sword and pulls back his kilt so that the fabric rests behind his hip bones. Just some sort of gesture that's meaning would be lost on anyone outside of the Isle of Monsters. 

Tzaclkratz gets a little weirded out at you for revealing your pelvic bones, but instead of making a fuss he just turns away, covering his view of you.  
"NORMALLY, I WOULD NOT AGREE OF YOU TAKING MY PREY AWAY FROM ME, BUT I SUPPOSE I CAN EXTRACT MY REVENGE AT A LATER TIME. YOU SPEAK WISELY, I SHALL TAKE ON THE BIGGER THREATS WHILE YOU TAKE ON A SINGLE, MOST IMPORTANT ENEMY. I JUST HOPE YOU CAN ACTUALLY USE THIS TOOL OF WAR, AND NOT JUST SPEAK OF IT." He gets on his feet, still squatting low. "I SHALL GET A BETTER POSITION AND ATTACK ONCE YOU DIVIDE THE ATTENTION," he says, not waiting for you to answer before sneaking out the door.  
You can see he's very skilled at stealth, making next to no sound as he slowly moves into a better spot in the darkness. If you didn't know he was there, you wouldn't notice him in a million years.  
He stays hidden, flashing one of his eyes at you for a split second to let you know he's ready for you to attack. Perlo walks around, then stand in the perfect spot, a light pointed at him between you and him, which should make it more difficult for him to see you properly once you attack. You can feel your soul beating, your hand clutched tightly around the hilt of your short sword.  
You're ready. 

Yes, tactical magic was one of Yarnus' weakness. Without it he did train with a sword on a regular basis. Using his magic to kill aggressive humans was far too dangerous and draining to do outside of a formal execution. But this was not to be an execution, this was a hunt. Perlo was just a boar in Yarnus' imagination. Dangerous if alarmed and needed to be downed quickly. Gripping the floor with his toes he assumed a sprinter's position and took three deep breaths imagining each step he was about to take. Charging in, blinding if he turned to face him. Pommel hit to back of the head if he was lucky, downward strike to the mask if not.  
After the third breath out he set out from the darkness and towards his prey. 

You run out, feeling the tension in every single bone of your body, the strength that springs you forward, the resistance of the floor beneath your feet. Even if it's not more than a couple seconds, that few steps you make to reach him feel so vivid it's almost unreal.  
Your mind races, slightly changing the plan with every movement Perlo makes. He seems to have caught the sound of your feet but as he turns around, the light shining away from you makes it impossible for him to recognize the danger you mean fast enough. You jump over the white light with the sword above your head and strike down, almost forgetting to not go full on so he survives.  
The edge of the sword clangs loudly over the silver mask, instantly breaking it apart. Small shards of the metal fly in all directions. If it wasn't for that metal plate, you'd slice his skull right down the middle.  
Perlo falls to the ground, his mask completely destroyed. You're already thinking up of way to pin him down, but one single look onto the downed skeleton stops you with shock.  
There are no eye sockets. Only the smooth bone surface.  
He has no eyes.  
The sight paralyzes you for just a split second, but it's enough for him to kick at your feet, knocking you off balance. You stumble but keep on your feet, catching a glimpse of him reaching down into his boot, grabbing the hilt of his knife. He's already getting up as he's unholstering his weapon, preparing to attack. 

While not sure what sort of vision this skeleton has without his mask, Yarnus takes a few careful steps back and lets the rope down from his shoulder. While not exactly a bola, if Perlo is blind it may be enough to trip him up. Keeping the sword up in a defensive stance he whips the rope out in the hopes of tangling him. Anything to keep distance between them is good in a knife fight, and best when you've got someone hiding in the shadows. 

Perlo doesn't look exactly your direction, which implies he really is blind. However, when you try to strike he dodges exceptionally well and before you can react he's jumped towards you faster than you expected him to move.  
He strikes at you with his knife and you just barely manage to deflect his attack with your sword. Luckily your longer weapon means more weight and you manage to throw him off, quickly attacking again and swinging at him from the side. He jumps back immediately and just as you expect him to attack again he bolts away from you.  
Just as he does he's attacked with a barrage of bones from Tzacl, which he mostly dodges. One of them scrapes along his arm and he winces, which Tzacl takes advantage off and throws another sharp attack. Perlo lets out a painful scream when the bone impales his ribcage, but other than a slight flinch he doesn't seem bothered by the enormous projectile locked between his ribs. He runs to the wall before you have a chance to reach him, slapping his hand on a huge button. From the darkness sounds the screeching of metal. You step back, not sure what's about to be unleashed.  
The creature that runs out looks a little less pathetic and pitiful than the others you've encountered. Two skulls are joined together diagonally, their upper jaws forming one huge vertical mouth. The creatures four eyes are bright and wide as it searches for a target frantically, until its sight lands at you. It makes a run for you on it's bulky body consisting of thick ribs and six thick boned arms.  
Before it can reach even halfway the distance to you, Tzacl jumps out of the shadows like a beast of prey and assaults the creature with attack after attack.  
"NEVER MIND IT!" he screams, "GET THE BASTARD!" You focus back onto Perlo who's now limping away to another, smaller metal door. He's going for the keypad, the need for a password giving you enough time to attack while also meaning that you absolutely can't let him leave. 

Since the little bastard can still dodge, Yarnus concentrates on the keypad. Grabbing one of the hammers on his belt he quickly judges it's balance and with a graceful step forward sends it in an arch towards the keypad. Not waiting to see if it hit it's target, Yarnus charges forward to crash into Perlo, or follow on his heels if he missed. 

The hammer hits right into the keypad flawlessly, breaking off a few keys and more importantly shocking Perlo out of his attention. You run at him and he doesn't even manage to fight back as you crash right into him with your shoulder and knocking him down on the floor. His already damaged labcoat gets torn off halfway and you get access to his ribs. You don't even hesitate, striking down and through the ribs, right next to Tzacls bone attack, literally pinning him down to the ground.  
"AH FUCK!!!" he yells, grabbing onto the hilt, but just as he does you whip out the rope and witch a single swing tie his wrists together.  
Perlo stops trying to get free, Breathing hard he grinds his teeth and slowly raises his arms up.  
"Alright... alright now, you got me, congratulations. Just don't do anything stupid now."  
Once you're sure he's incapacitated you turn to Tzacl, turning right back when you see him literally tear off both heads of the creature with a victorious shout and laugh. You can't help but wonder if that was really necessary... luckily there's no time to wonder about the moral nature of what just happened. You've got him. You've won.  
Tzacl soon reaches you, cackling and stepping down on Perlos blank face like the asshole he is.  
"GOOD WORK FOR A WHIMP!" he says to you, slapping your back a little harder than you'd like. "WHO'S LAUGHING NOW YOU BLABBERMOUTH CRETIN?!" he yells down at Perlo who only grinds his teeth harder. 

Yarnus glares at Tzacl and nudges his leg off of Perlos face. The heat of the battle still raging in everyone's system. "Now I don't plan on doing anything stupid, I just want you to fix what you did to my friend and we can part ways." Yarnus pauses for dramatic effect. "However my new friend here also has a b o n e to pick with you." 

Your joke falls on deaf skulls, neither of the skeletons finding your joke funny. What bullshit, it was a funny joke dangit...  
Perlo turns his blank face to Tzacl, or at least about hit general direction.  
"What is that supposed to mean?" he asks with hints of fear in his voice. You flinch when Tzacl kicks the downed man right in the injured ribs, making him yelp loudly in pain. The many eyed creature in a huge cage by the side of the room lets itself be known with a many voiced whimper.  
"YOU HAVE LIED AND DECEIVED ME - AND I WILL NOT STAND FOR IT. I WILL MAKE YOU PAY FOR EVERY SECOND OF MY TIME YOU WASTED!" He kicks him again for good measure, despite your attempts to stop him.  
"NOW, YOU WILL LEAD US INSIDE AND YOU WILL FIX THIS FAT CRETIN," he points in the general direction of the glass vat, "AND ONCE YOU DO, I'LL WANT SATISFACTION FOR MY TIME AND PRIDE. NOW MOVE!!! "  
Perlo yelps again when Tzacl grabs him by the remains of his labcoat and lifts him up, getting him free by tugging at the sword with his bare ribs. He seems in a lot of pain, but just grinds his teeth and gets up, putting in the code, having a bit of trouble with the beat keypad. Luckily even without the buttons, the keys are functional if pressed in a specific manner. Before he's done, you quickly run for the remains of your things, especially the glass vat.  
The many eyed creature suddenly comes to life again, making that awful noise louder and louder the further you three distance yourself. It begins to repeatedly ram its head against the metal bars, but before you can even voice your worry, you've arrived into the main lab. An enormous control panel stands before you, a curved table with many screens and buttons. Now it's off tho.  
"AH, DAMNIT! HOW LONG MUST I WAIT TO-" Perlo braces for another impact, quickly interrupting.  
"The control panel has a backup battery! No waiting, just let me turn it on..." Tzacl seems puzzled.  
"BACKUP? WHY DIDN'T YOU USE THAT POWER WHEN YOU-"  
"It doesn't hook up to anything else. The wiring is too delicate and unique, and I didn't dare to mess with it in case I'd break it. I'm not a damn electrician." Tzacl shrugs.  
"CONSIDER YOURSELF LUCKY, BECAUSE MORE WASTE OF MY PRECIOUS TIME WOULD COST YOU..." Perlo gulps.  
He pulls a few switches and presses some buttons, his actions about as clear to you as the sky in your homeland. You have no idea what any of these buttons could do, for all you know it could be some strange kind of musical instrument.  
Perlo types in a number, a camera of the room you've woken up in a while ago appearing. Omegas body still lays there, making you press his soul closer to you. Soon he'll be back and good as new, you say to yourself, cracking a smile.  
Perlo types in come commands and the room begins to move. Soon, the door next to the console opens and perlo, still held firmly by Tzacl if he decided to do something stupid, urges you to walk inside.  
"Now, do exactly as I say, and you'll have your friend back in no time." He begins to explain what to do with the machine after you put Omegas soul in. You can't scan him for lies, but from the way he talks he seems like he wants to just get this over with. Not like you have much choice.  
You do what he says, putting the glass vat back into the machine before pressing some buttons and pulling down a lever. You watch with worry as the machine comes to life, and your eyes brighten up when you see Omegas soul enter his body again. It travels to his ribcage, then disappears into raw magic that fills his bones. It doesn't take long before his eyes are slowly opening, squinting around, blinking slowly in confusion.  
"wha... where am i?" he asks, then his eyes fixate onto you, "hey lill guy, what happened?" 

Yarnus can't contain himself and latches onto Omegas neck, hugging him so hard that he might fear his head being popped off. A rush of words spill out of his throat, something about no soul, violet, zazzypants, and slimy saleskeletons. Omega prys him off and settles him down, "now tell me that again, but slower". Yarnus take a deep breath and tries to recount his adventure in the shortest manner. "Perlo drugged us and stole your soul, but I took it and with Tzacls help we forced him to put it back." Looking over to Tzacl and Perlo he adds, "He doesn't have a soul." Not specifying of which skeleton he's speaking. 

Omega still seems confused, scratching his skull.  
"...who's, uh, 'tackle'? and... wait, stole my soul?? ...what the hell?" He slowly stands up, seemingly stiff and sore. You can't imagine how it must feel in a body that has been dead for a few hours.  
He walks outside with you behind, getting to see the two remaining skeletons. He frowns in confusion, looking over them both, a little unsure about the poor state Perlo is in.  
"Well, there you go! Good as new, yes?" Perlo says, somehow slipping back into him falsely polite manner. "Now if you excuse me, I have this gentlemen to talk out o-"  
Both you and Omega flinch and jump back when a bone attack impales the already injured small skeleton right through his chest, breaking his spine. He gurgles, gasping for breath, but as he falls to his knees more attacks swarm up and mercilessly rip him to pieces. Tzacl stands above him as the bloody mess of bones begins to turn to dust, no sympathy in his serious stare.  
"SERVES YOU RIGHT, CHARLATAN..." He raises his head, scoffing, until the body turns completely. You're petrified with a mixture of shock and anger as Tzacl kicks into the ash pile lightly, then turns around and begins to leave without even saying a word. 

All this time Yarnus had assumed Tzacl was a victim of Perlos just as he and Omega was. With the way he protected the thing in his scarf, Yarnus thought Perlo had done something that could be fixed. Every positive idea he had crumbled to dust along with the soulless scientist.  
Holding on tightly to Omegas arm, half from fear, he finally spoke. "Perlo lied about the hub, he doesn't have one. We found some people who do know, but they..." Yarnus had been willing to kill the scientist himself, but not in such a gruesome manner. "...they wanted him dead and..." nervously he continued "...I think Tzacl was more than happy to agree." 

As you talk Tzacl continues out the door. For a split second he turns his head, giving you a quick glance of his stern eye, before disappearing down the corridor. Then he's gone.  
  



	15. *Reunited, And It Feels So Good

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here's another chapter with some good NSFW at the end. As before there will be a marker, but this time it goes all the way to the end of the chapter.
> 
> Also Wingdings is a pain to work with in AO3, so some characters had to be blanked out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NSFW tags: cum inflation

Omega is still absolutely confused about everything. He stares down at the pile of ashes, then at where the the tall skeleton has disappeared to. Then he turns to you, complete and utter confusion apparent in his eyes.  
"what the hell man?" he says in a high cracking voice, "i just... what?" He has to sit down to process what's going on.  
The control panel is still functional, but since it's hooked to just a battery it might not be for long. You saw Perlo operate it, and even though you don't understand technology much, you get the idea. Put in a number of a room to see what's inside, then you can make it come to you with just a single command. It seems there's way more things this thing can do, but that's the only thing you know how to do since you saw him do it.  
On the left side of the panel is a plate of numbered diodes. Only a few are lit up. 

Once the initial shock wears off Yarnus turns to the controls. "He didn't insult me before leaving, so I think he might be up to something." He starts to pressing buttons next to the lit diodes checking out each of the rooms. "When I met him here, he was searching for someone I think. He had the whole place mapped out." Stopping for a moment he turns to Omega, "Without him, I wouldn't have you back. I don't agree with his methods, but I owe him." 

Omega seems to finally be catching on a little, looking resentfully to where the tall skeleton left. Then he turns to you, getting up to check what you're doing, cautiously walking around the pile of dust.  
The rooms with lit up diodes are, as you could've guessed, the ones with somebody in them. They range from huge glass vats with some strange mutated creature inside to a room full of piled up lifeless monsters. You feel nauseous when you see them, wondering where their souls have gone to.  
Suddenly, in one of the rooms, you find something most unexpected. The room looks less like the other lab or hospital like rooms, and more like a prison cell. This is also the only room with "remote feeding enabled".  
Somebody is in that room. Not a something, somebody. A skeleton it seems, kinda hard to tell on the black and white screen with the dim light in the cell. They sit on the bench, quietly staring off into the wall that has many many carvings on it of numbers and symbols you don't understand.  
You watch them for a while, then your heart jumps when they get up and begin walking around, like a normal intelligent, non-crazy monster. 

"He's keeping people captive here? I know this used to be called the 'Violet Labs' before Perlo took over. Maybe this guy knows more about this place?" Yarnus turns to face Omega "If I press this button here it will bring the room to us... I think that's how it worked. But we don't have much power left" 

"sounds like a plan," Omega shrugs," bring 'em over."  
You press the buttons you believe to to be the right ones, mostly really just hoping for the best. The cell room shakes and the person inside begins to scramble, sitting down on the bed and looking extremely anxious. Seems like the idea of meeting their captor doesn't really make them happy. Boy are they gonna be surprised.  
The room arrives and with a loud click connects to the door. Omega walks over there and slowly opens it, looking inside, trying to look the least menacing he can. It isn't so easy for him with how big he is, but he does a fairly good job with his friendly smile.  
"hello? hey there," he greets the person. From inside the room, slowly and cautiously, a skeleton figure walks out. They're somewhat tall, very thin, wearing a tight black cloak, their eyes a pale violet colour. They spot you, measuring you up and down, then do the same with Omega. Their eyes are full of fear, which slowly gets replaced by hope, then unbridled joy as they realize you're of no harm to them. They walk out fully and grab Omegas hand, shaking it excitedly.  
"❄☟✌☠_ ✡⚐_ ❄☟✌☠_ ✡⚐_ ❄☟✌☠_ ✡⚐_ _⚐ ___☟✏" they say, their language absolutely incomprehensible to you. Then they turn to you and shake your hand with the same thankful excitement. "✋ _✌_ ☝☜❄❄✋☠☝ ✌☞☼✌✋_ ✋__ ☠☜_☜☼ _✌_☜ ✋❄ ⚐_❄ ⚐☞ ❄☟☜☼☜✏" 

Yarnus smiles widely and hopes that his arm doesn't fall off in the process of greeting, "I'm afraid that I have no idea what you are saying, but at least you seem nice." Striking his pose, "I am Yarnus, the Great Justiciar and this is my friend Omega, a void traveler. We are looking for a hub so that he can contact his friends." Yarnus stops there just in case the new fellow doesn't understand him as well. 

They don't seem to understand, but suddenly Omega steps in. He begins to speak to them in their language, much to your surprise, and for a while they engage in a conversation. The other skeleton seems excited at first but then begins to wear down and once they are over the initial joy of being let out, they begin to cry, fumbling down and breaking into tears. Omega doesn't let them fall to the ground, offering them his arms and hugging them as they continue to cry. When he sees how confused you are, he begins to explain.  
"they are the original owner of this place, their name is violet. perlo showed up one day, asking for shelter, and when they provided he tricked them into eating sleeping pills and locked them away. since then he's been up to no good, only keeping this poor guy cuz they know everything about the complex." Omega pets the crying man, trying to comfort him in his misery. "his kids..." Omega looks away, his eye sockets watering too, "they weren't so lucky..."  
Your heart sinks. Suddenly you don't feel so bad for Perlo getting murdered in cold blood.  
Suddenly, the loud banging echoes into the cries. The mumbled moaning voices sound loudly, as if calling, and Violet looks up immediately. They listen in, their eye sockets still full of tears. You can see they're both full of terror and... hope.  
They slowly let go of Omega, stepping towards the sound. They take a few steps, then jog, then run, all the way out there until they're out of your sight. For a while it's silence, then the sound of the metal bars opening is heard.  
You stand there, frozen in place. The voices pick up again, only this time, they're much more distinguishable.  
" ...AAAAAAAAAAATHAR. FFFAAAATHAR... "  
You feel the tears rolls down your cheekbones before you even know you're crying. The posture of the scientist slowly creeps back into your sight, looking forward to the creature. You flinch slightly when you see the enormous head full of jaws approach, all eyes fixated on the thin skeleton.  
But instead of aggression... the creature gently nudges its giant maw into Violets chest. They outreach their arms and wrap them around the creature as much as they can, leaning their forehead onto them. Their legs give out under them and they begin to slump, until they're on their knees. The creature sits its deformed body down before them and lays its huge head into their lap as much as it can, closing all of its eyes contently.  
Then it's silent yet again. 

"Your friends could help them, right? The power source is only unplugged and the room is a bit hotter than before, but it's repairable." Yarnus keeps his voice low, as to not startle Violets sons. "I'd rather trust him to help us to the hub than the two sleazy traders I met." 

Omega shrugs. "i don't know, i'll ask but... not right now." He sits down by the control panel, watching Violet hold the creature, taking their time. Omega seems very melancholic, but then, in his usual manner, tries to brighten up the situation with a smile. He reaches out for you and pulls you into his lap, hugging you closely.  
"thanks for savin my butt again," he says, nuzzling your face, "what would i do without you? heh, yer one tough lill guy." He pets you and gives you little kisses over the skull while Violet takes their time. Finally, they get up and approach you, their eyes sad but their smile genuine. They talk to Omega for a while, the big skeleton obviously asking your questions, but Violet shakes their head apologetically. You turn to Omega, eager for answers.  
"they say there's no hub here anywhere in these parts. the used to be one a short way off, but it got destroyed by a glitch..." He sighs lightly. "but they say we can stay as long as we like, and take anything we need. they'll lead us to the guestrooms."  
You don't even have to walk, Omega just standing up with you in his arms and carrying you all the way as Violet leads. They know all the keycodes so it's not long before you're standing back in the same grandiose dining room, with its carved chairs and glass chandelier. Violet unlocks all the doors to give you access to anywhere you'd like to go, then excuse themselves and go back to check on what else had happened while they were locked up.  
You're left alone in the beautiful room. Omega gently sets you down and comes to one of the doors Violet has pointed out, opening it.  
"whoa! holy shit dude you gotta see this!"  
You come to him to look and are quite stunned by the beautifully ornamented bedroom. A huge bed with a grandiose canopy, covered in very comfortable and soft looking pillows and sheets. Your aching body cries tears of joy at the sight promising extreme comfort. 

"This is...wow," Yarnus runs his hands over the fabric. "This is grander than even the Kings own room, or the Queens." He pulls down one of the pillows, finding it as tall if not taller than himself. Giving it a squeeze he deeply inhales the slight lavender scent, but notices another one, himself, or rather the traces of Perlo still lingering. Holding the pillow away his dusted it off murmuring something about 'not deserving this'.  
Not wanting to bring down Omegas spirit he moves on, inspecting the room and chatting away, hoping to find a bathroom attached to the bedroom, that's what these sorts of fancy places would have, he figured. 

You're more than ecstatic to find a bathroom just next to the bedroom. It's just as pretty, too.  
A huge tub imbedded in the ground in in the middle of the tiled room, the blue and black ceramics making pictures and ornaments on the walls. Omega is just as amazed at you, running to the tub to see the size better.  
"damn, i bet i'd fit here twice!" he says excitedly, "this is great!" You can't help but smile a little at his excitement, but his next question takes you aback a little.  
"you wanna take a bath with me?" 

A shy grin spreads across Yarnus' face as he steps towards the tub. Omega wasn't kidding about the size, but the depth looked a bit worrisome. "I'm pretty sure I'd be up to my nose bone in there alone." a slight blush crosses his cheekbones "I don't mind sharing a bath with you."  
He leaves the task of filling the tub to Omega. Quickly undressing he slides into the tub to gauge the temperature and the depth before signaling his approval. 

Omega turns the taps carefully so that it's just the right temperature flowing in, and you stand in the tub, waiting for it to be filled to exactly the height you want it to be, so that you're comfortable when you sit down.  
The warm water and nice scents hanging around the room make you relax so well you manage to get all of the horrors of the previous day out of your head for a while. As you close your eyes, Omega gets to undressing himself and soon he’s climbing into the tub. You get startled when the water rises and gets in your eye sockets, and Omega begins to apologize profusely. Seems like next time you should also count in the mass of the enormous skeleton.  
A little grumpy that your perfect water height is ruined, Omega doesn't let you pout. He grabs for you and sits you up on his legs, which prove to be just the right elevation you need. Once you're satisfied again, Omega leans back and puts his hands behind his head, humming in comfort.  
You notice a bar of soap on the edge of the tub, just by the tap. 

Yarnus grabs the soap and manages a good lather between his carpals. While relaxing was nice, the grime on his bones was becoming bothersome to him. Starting from top to bottom he scrubbed himself until he dropped the soap while trying to wash his spine. The rich bar sunk quickly to the bottom and Yarnus dove down to retrieve it.  
Surfacing, he shook his skull clear of water while clinging onto Omegas femur. The leg shook with the large skeletons laugh, "you looked just like a little bird just now. want me to get your back for you?" Nodding Yarnus moved to his lap and sat facing outwards. 

Omega takes the soap from you and begins to scrub you, humming at first, then singing a little song in his deep silly voice. Sensual wouldn't be exactly the word to describe the procedure, it's more like he's giving a bath to a pet or a little kid. Despite so, you appreciate his cheery way, glad you have him back. He rubs the soap over your back and head, then splashes water on you to wash down the bubbles. He stops for a brief moment, rubbing the soap on his hand to form a colourful film between his fingers, then blows a few bubbles. He seems really upbeat and you have to remind yourself that when you were fighting for you life, he was an unconscious ball of lifeforce.  
After you're clean, omega rubs your shoulder with his huge arms, allowing you to lean back and get comfortable on his belly. He takes the soap and, careful so that you're not bothered, scrubs himself too. He goes even as far to rub the soap over his huge teeth. Weird... is that like a thing from his world?? Bleh.  
After he's also clean, he lays back, both of your relaxing. The water is warm, the room is clean and smells nice, you're comfortable in Omegas lap... You doze off for a little while, feeling so much better now that you're clean and have you both safe.  
You wake up when Omega gently lifts you up from the water, putting you into his arms and standing up. "the water's gettin chilly now, we wouldn't wanna catch a cold, ey?" He sets you down on the ground and reaches into one of the wooden shelves to hand you a towel, he himself using one in each of his huge hands to dry off.  
"man i can't wait to plop into that bed man!" Omega says excitedly, trying to hurry with his drying. 

Yarnus barely gets the large towel wet before he's dry. Wrapping it around his pelvis he follows Omega into the bedroom. "What was it like… you know… being separated like that?" Curiosity had gotten the better of him. "I was carrying your soul around for at least a couple of hours and..." his voice begins to catch. "I-I was afraid every step, that if the vat broke... if I took too long… that I'd come back to find..." his voice was so small now that if could barely be heard, "...a pile a dust." 

Omega lifts his head up from the bed where he has plonked immediately after getting his shorts on. He gives you a worried look, then gets up and smiles, coming closer.  
"well it's a good thing everything ended up alright ey? no reason to be worried about something that didn't happen to happen, come on." He leans down and hugs you closely, lifting you up and then sitting down on the bed. "it was... i think i have a bit of like a... not exactly a memory," he shakes his head "but i do remember... feeling you close. like if i was asleep and you were with me. other than my bones bein kinda sore from layin for so long, i actually feel really great now! so don't worry bout a thing lill man, let's just-" He throws himself backwards onto the bed, throwing you up on his soft belly. "-relax! chill out. get yer sweet sweet cool on. howsboutit?" 

"I think I could feel you too. Your soul was warm and always reaching for me." Yarnus stretched and yawned. "I'll probably be sore in the morning, I haven't had to fight like that in ages." After getting comfortable on Omegas belly, it didn't take long for him to drift off to sleep.  
He dreamed, or remembered, hard to tell the difference when you're asleep. He was standing on a sand bar or a peninsula watching a gathered crowd. Everyone kept their distance from him, why he couldn't remember. Then they all ran away, someone pushed past and raced inland. He felt something tug him without touching him. Then all black. Only the feeling of fine sand pelting his face briefly, then nothing at all.  
  


You wake up in the morning to the smell of clean laundry, tucked away in the soft sheets comfortably. Just like you predicted your bones are a little sore from yesterday's deadly exercise, but it's not as bad as you thought it'd be. You lie there, calm, your mind still a little hazy from the sleep.  
You notice Omega isn't there, wondering how long you must've been asleep if he's gotten up before you. Before you can get up and go look for him, the smell of freshly fried eggs fills your nosehole and Omega enters with heavy steps, holding a tray in his hands. He comes to you, smiling widely when he sees you're awake.  
"good morning lill buddy," he greets you cheerily, "ya slept like a piece of log! feelin better? i made ya some brekkies." He puts the tray on the bed next to you. About a dozen pieces of french toast with a side of pieces of sliced cucumber are neatly layered on the plate, with a bottle of ketchup and a cup of tea.  
"didn't know how ya like yer tea, so i just left it plain. let me know if you want anythin more n i'll bring it for ya," Omega smiles, sitting down next to you, careful not to spill the drink. He grabs you around the shoulder and lands a soft little kiss on the top of your skull. "my lill savior deserves the best mornin meals, ey? take yer time, we got nowhere to rush. bone apetit." 

The sight of food, and lots of it causes Yarnus' mouth to instantly form a tongue and start to drool a bit. He barely even registers Omegas presence as he starts for the toast. He's inhaled at least two pieces before pausing for a breath. "Heh, I guess I'd better slow down. Like you said last night, there's no hub around for us to try to get to." He makes small talk as he finishes the entire plate and the tea, leaving only the bottle of ketchup that would have only been used on fried eggs.  
Yarnus falls back on the bed as Omega removes the tray. The feeling of being stuffed is nearly overwhelming when he gets an idea. All the exertion the past day had dissolved what little belly he had, so he decides to reform it. Once started he just lays in the comfort of the plush bed filling it slowly with his replenished magic. 

Omega sits next to ya, eventually slumping down until he's on his back. For a while, you both just lay there, calmness and comfort all around you. It feel great, like coming home from a long long adventure.  
You almost begin to fall asleep again, when you feel the bed under you shift as Omega rolls over on his side. He puts a hand under his head and stares down at you with his calm blue eyes. He smirks a little, his other arm raising over you and a finger prodding at your belly.  
"poke," Omega says in a silly manner, then chuckles to himself. You can't help but smile a little at the silly gesture. Omega runs his finger over your belly, up your sternum until he reaches your face. You expect him to, but don't manage to dodge in time, his finger lightly poking the tip of your nosebone.  
"boop! hehehe." 

He can't help but chuckle and play bite at the offending finger. Yarnus rolls over to face Omega. "So what happens now? Are we free-loading here for the rest of time? If so, I don't know how much I can handle. The buzzing was bothering me more and at one point there was a voice in my head... it was strange yet familiar." In a quieter voice. "I know I shouldn't' worry so much, but I do, it's sorta what I do." 

Omega rubs your side softly as he chuckles. "nah, we'll leave soon n go lookin for that hub. i promised i'd getchya outta here now didn't i? there's gotta be one we can find here, we're in the void damnit, this place is fuckin huge n growin all the time."  
You remember back to those saleskeletons. They did promise to tell you where the hub is if you kill Perlo and, well, even though it wasn't you who killed him, you're sure they won’t care. You also have Omega to keep you safe now, so maybe it's be a good idea to at least try.  
Omega rolls a little closer, nudging his face into your gently. "but before we go, we can enjoy the comfort ey? it's real nice here." He gives you soft kisses on the cheekbones, nuzzling into your face more. "especially with ya, lill man..." 

Yarnus soul came to a complete stop and just melted. All his worries were so far out of his mind they didn't register as soon as the nuzzling began. "I missed you." To Yarnus it had felt like days since they had been together. He ran his hands around the giant skull and returned the small kisses. Letting his hands fall he began to slowly trace each and every bone within his reach. 

Omegas smile only widens with your touches, and he continues to kiss you. He shifts on the bed so you have all the access you want, running his hand up and down your back softly. As you continue to touch him your hands end up on his soft belly again, mesmerized by the warmth, and Omega pushes you closer, his hand sliding under the sheet and gently rubbing over the back of your sacrum. His tongue pokes out to touch your teeth, rubbing over their edges until you let him snake it inside, tilting his head to reach you better. He runs it over the inner side of them, down to the edge of your jaw and back up, fondling it over yours. The hot texture makes you hum comfortably into his mouth, making him smile again.  
The hand on your but gets a little more grabby over time, pressing against the holes of your sacrum, rubbing the edges of your hipbones or circling your tailbone carefully. Your soul begins to beat harder, magic surging up in your body with excitement. It's when Omega sits up higher and grabs your head to fill your mouth with his tongue more do you start to moan softly. 

Not wanting to dislodge or discourage the probing tongue, Yarnus coils his tongue around Omegas. Pulling and coiling repeatedly while massaging the back of his neck bones until the both of them are a hot mess. Only then does he pull away and begins trailing kisses down Omegas chest. Pausing a moment with his head pressed to where his large blue soul would be. "I never got to tell you how beautiful your soul was, how warm and bright. It makes me happy when you're near."  
  


  
***BEGIN NSFW*** 

Omega grins and holds you closer, placing kisses all over you skull. "ditto my lill buddy, yer one cool lill guy, i love having ya close..." He lifts you up a little, pressing his face into your chest and kissing your ribs. "yer so small n cute, smart n brave, i love guys like ya. it's a joy to have ya near..." He kisses your belly before placing you back down on the sheets and hovering over you, his smile getting a little mischievous. You let out a small gasp when you feel the hot mass of ectoflesh in his briefs press against your crotch, rubbing your unformed magic up and down the tiniest bit. "especially this near, heheh." 

Feeling his heat sends a wave of magic through his body. Up his core and out to all of his phalanges, warming his face before returning to the source in a crash. Ripples continue to spread through his body as he begins to form a proper receptacle for such a huge member. Sitting up Yarnus wraps one arm around Omegas neck and kisses him passionately. "I don't just want you near... I want you in me." 

Omegas breathing is much heavier now, as he stares down at you with his half lidded benevolent stare, his calm gentle giant nature almost radiating from his eyes. He grins wider, showing off his huge teeth, then lets out a breathy chuckle.  
"heheheh... aren't ya a lill too small to be this kinky?" He grins apologetically at your unamused look, "guess not. but i don't wanna hurt ya lill man, n this has the potential to really hurt..." He shifts back on the bed until his head is on the level of your newly formed magic bits. "let me get ya a lill ready first alright?"  
You watch, your breath heavy and ragged, as Omega leans down, grabbing onto your femurs and poking out his tongue. He's going slow, making you mad with want, until he finally drags his tongue up over your slit, gently at first, his tongue spreading saliva over you. He does so a few times, too slow, too gentle, until you can't wait anymore and buck against his face. Omega blinks in surprise, then grins wider. "eager, ain't we?" You want to tell him to stop beating around the bush but you don't have to, his tongue getting to work just the way you want it.  
He slides his huge meaty piece of hot flesh up and down over you, circling, pressing, lapping, even smushing his face against you and growling deeply, sending shakey waves through you. While he holds your femur in one hand, he strokes his own stuff, coating it up to slide better later. You're already a panting mess by the time he pushes the tip of his tongue into you, adding pressure and pushing deeper. "dahmn," he says with his tongue still in, "yehr a loht loosher tchan i tchouth youch'd be." He then goes on, pulling his tongue in and out of you, pushing at your walls to get you as ready as you can get.  
You're already pretty close by the time he pulls back, licking his face off of your yellow fluid. He grins down at you, his eyes hazy, as he grabs onto both your femurs again and lifts you up. Although you're plenty ready, the tip is still really big compared to you so closely as he gently presses it right against your entrance.  
"hey, ah... yer good n ready?" he asks before continuing. "say if ya want anythin differently, don't let me hurtchya lill man." 

'This is madness' at least that's what part of his brain would say, but ever since his encounter under the tree Yarnus had discovered a feeling that he liked, of being filled. And Omega, this sweet, caring, giant of a skeleton was something he liked as well, so it was unbelievable to have both at the same moment. All of this passed through his mind as he looked up at the half-lidded skeleton above him. "I trust you." 

Omega nods, smiling widely, his face completely blue. "alright then, buckle up lill guy."  
You try to keep your head clear and focus on what's happening, but it takes just Omega pressing his tip into your for your back to arche and your breath to hitch. Omega waits a moment, breathing heavily, before lifting your frame up by your femurs and pressing into you again, deeper. It's slick and smooth and goes in easy despite being so thick. You moan out louder when Omega presses even deeper and it feels like your magic insides are filled up to the limit.  
"oh, oh dude yer t-tight as hell man," Omega moans, the hands around your femurs shaking, "fuck this feels amazin." He starts to move, just a little at first, letting your insides loosen up so that he can slide in and out of you with less friction. It doesn't take long for him to rock back and forth in you faster, rubbing hard against your walls.  
"mmmthat's good," he exhales, leaning closer to you, "man i love this shit." He grins widely before he kisses you, never ceasing the movement, then pulls back again. "when ya n yer bud are real close n free minded... n ya get to fill em up n give em a damn good time..." He presses deeper still, letting go of your legs, placing one hand next to you on the sheets and the other to your clit, gently rubbing it around, making you wheeze with pleasure. "n it's nice n tight in there... soft n warm... n he's yer buddy... ohhh man."  
The pace starts picking up again and Omega shifts back, only to get you closer and lean over you, almost trapping you under his huge frame. He gets his arms around you, surrounding you in his warm embrace as he continues to pump into you. You couldn't put a sentence together right now if your life depended on it, but luckily there's nothing to distract you, you can just lay back and enjoy all the big guy gives you. Omega is pretty silent at first, but his breathing is getting harder, becoming panting with indistinguishable words of praise sprinkled in. His eyes water with pleasure when suddenly you feel his hands clasp around your hip bones a little harder than you're used to from the big guy.  
You lose your breath, your eyes going wide when Omega pushes deeper into you, a lot deeper. For a second you can't believe it, you were absolutely sure that was the limit, but his dick just goes right through, pressing deeper and harder, and you wrap your twitching arms around him for support. When you finally catch your breath you loosen your grip and look down, the sight leaving even more fucked up than you already are. Your magic belly is bulging out from the inside with the increased power he's giving it, his dick visible through the golden flesh.  
You feel like you're going to melt, your breathing messy and your skull sweaty, your eye sockets tearing up from the pleasure. Omega holds you tighter, getting louder as he gets closer. 

The sight of his cock surrounded by Yarnus' magic is amazing. He can’t help but to reach down and stroke at it through his belly. The added sensation to Omegas cock cause it to delightfully twitch within him. As Omega's thrusts start to become erratic he holds on, pressing at the head both to keep steady and apply more pressure. 

Omega becomes a sweaty mess, ramming into you much harder than you'd think he'd ever dare to with how careful he usually is with you. But it's really all that you wanted from him, his strength and size, filling you up to the point of almost slipping under your ribs. His mouth is open and even drooling a bit from the intensity of his own pleasure, giving you his all.  
You start to feel the tingling in your loins becoming overwhelming, feeling the top of his shaft scrape against the inner edge of your pubis through your flesh. Your legs begin to shake and you try to catch your breath as you reach the peak, tightening up without meaning to. The feeling is so intense it almost knocks you out as you finally catch your breath to scream his name.  
Omega isn't doing any better and once you tighten around him, his eyes go wide and his teeth grind together, his breath hitching. Just as you finish he grabs your hip bones so hard it's almost painful, ramming into you a few last times before hunching over you, moaning your name loudly. You wince when you feel the pressure inside you increase, looking down to see the blue stuff spilling inside of you. It's filling you up more and more, until you feel like you're going to burst, your belly bulging out to the point of ridicule. Finally it stops and you stay like this, tense and frozen, gasping for air, Omega still getting down from the high. 

Yarnus looked down at the huge bulge that was him, or them still. Their stomachs lightly pressing against each others. A green yolk like center in his ecto-tummy. As Omega relaxed and dissolved, some of the pressure was gone, but not all of it. Yarnus softly caressed his stomach. "I figured walking funny I could blame on yesterday, but this..." He softly laughed. "That was amazing!"  
Before Omega could be confused about the laugh he reached up and nuzzled the giant. "Thank you." 

Omega is still a little out of breath, but when you caress his face, he smiles calmly, exhaling a deep hot breath down on you. "heheh... you ain't gotta thank me, i enjoyed this just as much as ya, maybe even more." He slowly lays to the side, scooping you up in his arms and holding you closer, kissing you right back. "we so gotta try this again sometime..." You press against his chest as he gently caresses you, both your breathing calming down, getting in on some of those aftermath cuddles.  
Life is good.  


  
***END NSFW*** 


	16. What's done is done.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Oh goody, it's these guys again._  
>  There's implied NSFW at the end, but not marked since it's not explicit.

Even though they had just woken only hours ago, Yarnus found himself falling back asleep in the comfy bed. Omega fared no better, when Yarnus woke up the gentle giant was still asleep. Having your soul removed for any amount of time must have been draining.  
He slipped out from underneath the sheets and made his way over to his freshly laundered kilt. Fastening the belt took a little bit of difficulty with his bulging belly. The swell was not as much as before, but still enough to mess with his balance. A walk would probably help him adjust to his new dimensions.  
As quiet as possible Yarnus slipped out of the bedroom to explore the nearby rooms. 

You go silently, although you probably don't even have to. Omegas snoring is a good indication that he's sleeping deeper than the bottom of the ocean.  
You walk into the dining room and look around, not rushing anywhere, just calmly enjoying your time in the beautiful room. There's another door opposite the bedroom one. You try the door and see it is unlocked, so you walk in to check it out.  
A huge study opens up before you, in the same decorated and opulent style as the rest of this place. Books and strange devices you don't know are laying around on shelves and a huge circular table beneath a window. Looking out of the window you see it leads into a huge cave above an underground waterfall, the sound of running water giving the place an exceptionally calm atmosphere. It must be a joy to work here.  
The table is covered with papers and blueprints and whatnot, seemingly belonging to Perlo. You recognize the machine he used to remove Omegas soul and see some other, unnerving machines and inventions. Even without your technological knowledge you can tell just how sinister these findings are.  
You find another item of interest among the piles of study materials. In the first shelf of the work table is a small red book with golden linings. It's Perlos diary. 

Neither Violet or his son/sons would be much for conversation, so Perlos diary would at least shed some light on what was going on in this place. Taking it, Yarnus moves to the window hoping the scenery will ease any of the discomfort from reading the inner thoughts of that twisted scientist. 

You get to reading. Perlos handwriting is beautiful and he writes just like he speaks, in long complicated sentences yet well enough that you don't get confused.  
The beginning entries talk about Perlo waking up from something that was not sleep. He woke up in a room with his brother, but although he remembered how he looked... he couldn't see him. His head was filled with visual memories but he was blind. He and his brother would live in the room they woke up in for some time.  
Over time Perlo would develop new ways of seeing, in a different way that by eyesight. His brother didn't have this problem, he had eyes, and he had a soul. He was a jolly and friendly man with so much love for Perlo. Perlo felt nothing towards him. Because he could not.  
One day, Perlo killed his brother. He wanted to take his soul for his own, so he'd be able to feel the love and joy he did. His brother didn't even put up a fight as Perlo beat him to death.  
But he didn't have a clue on how souls work back then, so he ended up killing his brother for nothing. His body turned to dust and Perlo was now alone. In the diary he describes his feelings about killing his brother as dull but... staggering. Everytime he'd remember the way his brother laughed or smiled, he'd go silent and have to sit down, just to think about him for a moment. He didn't feel bad or good... but he felt something.  
Once he ran out of food, Perlo went outside, looking for ways to survive. He met a lot of people. And he killed a lot of people. He learned to fake his emotions in front of others to trick them. One day, he found the Violet labs.  
He overthrew Violet and began his own work. By now he has realized the limitations of a soul, and so he decided to find a solution. He would find a way to acquire a soul. He describes wanting to feel bad for what he had done to all those monsters, and especially his brother.  
But his works didn't go the way he wanted. He found out that simply taking one's soul wouldn't be enough. He couldn't just take the soul, it would mean sharing his mind with somebody else... He had to find a way to strip a soul of its personality. Creating the soul amalgams was a way to test which souls were more dominant in decision making over the other. He was so close to a breakthrough...  
The rest of the pages are blank. 

Yarnus closed the diary and placed it on the table with the blueprints. Part of him felt bad for the soulless fellow, but the idea that he would strip the very being from someone's soul was too disturbing to redeem the scientist in any way.  
Not wanting to dwell anymore on the unfortunate events Yarnus searched for anything else legible to him. Violets notes were probably just as foreign to him as his language. 

There isn't much else for you to read, the rest is just calculations and sketches of machines and other doodads. You do find some storybooks in the bookshelves, among all of the physics and math studies. They seem to be written and illustrated by hand. One is about a shapeshifting demon horse, another about a prison filled with clones.  
In a cup on the top shelf you find a small ruby gemstone in the rough. Nothing else catches your interest. 

For a split second Yarnus thinks of taking the gem. "First a can of peas, then some gold... I will not become some petty thief." he says to himself as he walks out and back to wandering. If Omega is still asleep perhaps he might venture out a little further. He doesn't really want to get too far from his sleeping friend. 

You come back into the dining room, just now noticing that the ceiling is painted to look like the starry sky. You stop in awe, staring at it for a while, wondering if you'll ever be able to see the real stars for yourself...  
Suddenly two huge hands clasp around your sides. You get startled and instinctively try to recoil, but you're held too tightly. You're lifted up and squeezed in a bear hug, realizing it's just Omega playing around.  
"this is a robbery! give me all your snuggles!!!" he laughs as he rubs his face into your back. Then he turns you around in his arms, chuckling voicelessly, throwing you up and down a little playfully. "where've ya been? i wake up n yer nowhere to be found. ya went on a lill walk ey?" 

Yarnus doesn't struggle against the manhandling, enjoying the sensation of being taller and closer to the starry ceiling. Feeling a little guilty for leaving him alone he leans in for a hug. "I only went on a little walk, a few rooms nearby. I found a study with nice view if you want to see it?" 

"sure!" Omega says excitedly, walking over where you point out.  
You get back into the study and to the window, looking down at the running blue water. Both of you are quiet for a while, then Omega sits down on the chair, letting you down on his knee. He stares out for a while, a smile still present on his face... but you can tell he's not happy.  
"this is beautiful. reminds me of waterfall... a place that existed back in my universe," he says slowly, in a hushed voice, as if he didn't want to disturb the sound of running water. He takes a while, his smile slowly fading. "you know... sometimes i really miss those times. when i thought the biggest problem ever was being locked up underground. i never got to see the stars in my universe, we never made it outta there. one day i just... suddenly everything crumbled and i just barely escaped. now it's just the void and the sansuary, i mean, don't get me wrong, i love the place! but... everything is so complicated now, you know? sometimes i really wish i could just go back to being a silly skeleton and play pranks on the folk in my town n sleep all day n hang out with my broth-er..." He hiccups a little and you think he might be crying, but there are no tears. He smiles unhappily, his eyes suddenly looking so tired. "heheh... it's funny, really. it wasn't even really my universe i guess, it was alphas. if that world never died i wouldn't even be here..." 

Yarnus scoots closer into Omegas lap and lays against him. The concept of multiple universes still boggled his mind. "So this Alpha, is he like your brother or something?" Yarnus looks up and hopes that the question doesn't bring up bad memories or anything. A thought crosses his mind. What if Omega was like Perlo? They just woke up and had memories that they knew wasn't theirs. This thought worries him and could be seen on his face. 

"oh, no, alpha is the original me. you see... i'm just a clone. when the universe crumbled, he escaped in a machine our dad made before he disappeared. but it wasn't completely finished, so instead of just transporting him, it made copies of him, most of which were too corrupted to live too long... i'm the best copy of all of them. n after our universe crumbled n we were all alone... we decided to stick together. so i guess we became sorta like brothers. it's complicated... but i'm glad to have him, he's a great friend. we really helped eachother out at that time." As he talks, his hand absentmindedly runs up and down your back. You think he might be comforting himself by petting you like this, but you don't mind the soft touch. He smiles, genuinely this time, and looks down to you. "gotta say, although i miss the old days, i'm real grateful to the void for gettin to know so many great folks. some of the best peeps i know i've met here," he grins widely, patting your skull affectionately. 

Yarnus grins a little mischievously, "I guess I'm glad you got stuck behind that door. Otherwise I might not have ever found you." His smile falls slightly, "My world is so different from yours and probably anyone else's here. Without you I probably would have been eaten or worse. I'm not good at being alone and this place being so strange to me doesn't help." Yarnus snuggles against the big skeletons chest and stares out over the beautiful waterfall. "I think I'd like to meet your friends someday." He almost added 'and you could meet mine' but still unsure if that would ever be possible. 

Omega holds you close as you press yourself into his warm body, gently resting his chin on your head. "and i'm sure they'd love to meet you, heheh." For a moment both of you just stare out, watching as the water endlessly flows down... Then Omega gently puts you down and stands up, stretching his arms above his head. "well, if you wanna meet 'em we gotta find them first ey? how bout we find those two slimeballs you were talkin about n finally get that hub?" 

A shiver runs down his spine just thinking of those two. "They were a couple of hooligans. One was about your size, maybe a bit bigger. He picked me up by my belt." The way Yarnus huffed at that last bit was a bit comical. "I'd feel safer if we brought them evidence that Perlo was gone. I shattered his mask, that should be proof enough for them." He sighed and added, "Maybe we could find where he took our supplies and my cuirass. Not that anyone seems to care about the royal seal around here, but it has sentimental value to me." 

"maybe violet knows where our stuff could be," Omega theorizes, "let's ask 'em"  
You both get up and Omega take a minute putting all of his clothes on. He lovingly pets the soft sheets of the heavenly bed before leaving the room and entering the fourth door of the dining room to find the owner of the labs.  
Violet is sitting at the command console, typing away as you walk in. When Omega greets him in that indistinguishable language, they look up and smile widely at both of you, despite the tired look in their eyes. They get up to ask what's the matter and Omega explains your situation. Violet rubs their chin for a moment, then looks around on their cameras before typing something in, then showing you a door on the other side of the room.  
"they say there's a big pile of stuff near the waterfall end. looks like it's all the stuff perlo threw away, so it's possible our stuff is there. let's check it out ey?"  
You walk into the door to find a huge room filled with garbage. Omega seems in his element, immediately picking stuff up and investigating if it has any use at all.  
As you stand high on the top of the garbage pile you spot somebody on the other side of one of the heaps. Once they come closer, you recognize the two saleskeletons, digging around in the trash. 

Dropping down quickly Yarnus makes his way to Omega as fast as he can. Getting caught alone with them was not an experience he was wanting to repeat. For a moment he kinda wished Tzaclkratz was still with him. That is, if they were still on good terms with each other.  
"Those guys are down here too. And coming this way!" He tried to keep the panicked feeling down. The recent relaxations had already taken the edge off of the attitude he had during the negotiations before. Though this time he would be armed with the pearlescent sword for confidence. 

Omega was just bending over for some cool piece of plastic on the ground when you rush in and alert him of their presence. Calmly he gets up, fixing his pants as he looks over to see the two. Seems they have noticed you already and are approaching. The smaller skeleton is already tapping his fingers together, that slimy smile ever present on his face.  
"Greetings!" he says once they reach you. Sensing your uneasiness Omega steps before you to shield you from them, then smiles warmly.  
"hey there!" he greets them in his usual friendly manner, but then stops, as if he suddenly remembered something. He squints his eyes at the saleskeletons, then rubs his chin. "have we met before?"  
The saleskeleton laughs in the most untrustworthy way possible. "Yes, as a matter of fact. except the last time i saw you you were a bit... smaller." Omega lifts his head when he realizes he had met him while being just a soul. He takes a small step back, accidentally bumping into you with his butt.  
"Smalltalk aside, I believe you've brought us something of interest, yes?" the smaller skeleton raises his eye arches. Omega nods and takes the remains of the shattered mask out of his pocket, presenting them to both handlers. The big skeleton, so far just standing there silently, takes on a big sadistic smile, but doesn't make himself known in any other way. The small skeleton takes the pieces in his hand and grins as well.  
"Yes! Good, you've sure done a number on that guy. I hear that Violet is back in their rightful place? What good news indeed." He hides the mask away in his coat and looks back to you. "As promised, I'll tell you where a hub can be found... a city called 'Zwezyr', which you will find in a semistable land just beyond the Golden Halls. If you want to get there however, you'll have to pass through the lower tunnels and the Dozenoid's laid. I'd advise you to bring a lot of food, for the walk through the lower tunnels can take days for even the fastest of walkers. Once you reach the Glass Dome you'll enter the grasslands, and from there it's just one search away. I'm sure you'll be able to find the city if you just ask around, there's quite a lot of folk living there." 

Yarnus peers out behind Omega, still not trusting the saleskeltons his eyes are active and watching for any deception. Of course none of the names were familiar to him, but he couldn't help but think of the grassland they saw... in the snow globe... and the yellow walls around the tree...  
Stepping out from around Omega he asked curiously, "This Dozenoid, what is that?" 

"Oh nothing too bad, just an old amalgam. We call it the Dozenoid because it happens to have that number of heads. Any other questions?" 

Looking up to Omega, " I had asked before about your missing equipment, but I had had no clue what it was really." Suddenly Yarnus remembered, "Oh! Perlo took my armor from me earlier. We were down here looking for it. A chest piece, kinda ornate. Have you seen it?" 

The sale skeleton looks excitedly to his partner, grinning widely, the bags under his eyes more visible now. "Oh, what a coincidence! Our inventory just happens to have expanded with one piece like that a few minutes ago!" The bigger skeleton takes his huge bag off and dives his hand into it, retrieving the shiny piece of metal. It is your cuirass alright. "Is this what you're looking for? I'll sell it to you for a good price." You're starting to really really really hate that assholish smile of his tired eyes.  
Before you can get mad and tell him what you think of him selling your own belongings back to you, Omega steps in with his friendly smile. "yeah, that'd be real nice of ya... but sadly, we're broke." The look on the small saleskeletons face gets disappointed and somewhat annoyed, but Omega quickly leans down to him and puts his huge arm over his shoulders. "but i'm sure such a skilled tradesman knows there's other goods to trade, hmm?"  
The look on the smaller skeleton gets wide in surprise as Omega leans in even closer and begins to whisper something to him that you can't distinguish. After a moment he pulls back, smiling warmly, lifting an eye arch. "whatd'ya say ey?"  
The smaller skeletons grins widely, a slight blush barely visible over the bags over his eyes. He taps a finger over his chin, chuckling lightly. "That you are one good negotiator... Give him the piece Zero." The big skeletons rolls his eyes with an annoyed puff, throwing the cuirass your way so hard it almost knocks you over.  
"just give me a lill moment yarnus, i'll be right back," Omega smiles your way before walking off, lead by the smaller skeleton holding his hand.  
You're left alone with the big skeleton. He walks over to you, then sits down, the bag on his back ringing loudly. He looks annoyed. You can't help but stare at his huge crooked teeth, jutting out into all directions from his mouth. He doesn't seem much for conversation, so you rather just stay silent.  
After a few minutes of awkward silence Omega and the smaller saleskeleton return. Still fixing up his pants, his face flushed, he waves at the big skeleton who slowly gets up and follows.  
"Pleasure doing business with you," the small skeleton laughs before walking off, "hopefully we'll meet again." Then they both walk off until they disappear behind one of the trash piles.  
Omega looks to you, smiling cheerily in his usual manner as if nothing had happened. "ain't this great? ya got your armor back. feelin better?" 

Yarnus is speechless. He looks to the cuirass in his arms, off into the distance where the saleskeletons left, and back to Omega's smiling face. Multitudes of thoughts are racing past his mind while Omega patiently waits for a response. "You didn't...", disgusted by the thought of the slimy trader. "You didn't have to...", was this piece of metal worth that trade? Before he could even finish one thought, the next bubbled up. "I....," Yarnus had done the same kind of trade for the key. Granted it was a different interaction, but in essence it was the same. His face flushed yellow, so hot that he hid behind the armor.  
"Thank you." his voice was small and embarrassed. Looking back at Omega, "I'll make it up to you." 

Omega rubs his mouth with his sleeve, then gives you a kind smile. "don't worry bout it lill' man, i'm glad i could help ya. besides, you made it up to me already - ya saved my ass like two times over the past few days! it really ain't a big deal." He pats your back gently, then walks back over to the door. "well, that's taken care of... i'll ask violet if they know any shortcut into the lower tunnels. n also if we can get some food ey?"  
  



	17. Train Tilting

As he says, he does. Violet tells you you are free to help yourself to anything you'd like in the pantry while he tells Omega the info necessary to get where you want to get. You're led into the huge room, shelves and fridges all around. There's fresh food that looks like it has been just harvested or hunted, and also a whole lot of cans. Not as many as in the snowglobe house, but enough for you to take your picks. 

Yarnus picks out cans that would be the most filling, mostly stews, and some that wouldn't even have to be heated to be good. The backpack is filled almost to bursting. Even though the directions that slimy trader gave did sound like they were going back the way they came, one thing stood out differently. He said it took days to travel the tunnels, but the ones they had been through didn't take that long. Probably parts of the void repeat in a way. It seemed that the void was all chunks of all different universes so that would make sense.  
Looking around the massive kitchen, Yarnus got an idea. Violet had fresh food and that could only mean one thing. A proper Howtowdie with Drappit eggs. He set to work pulling out a large enough pot to feed everyone; whole chickens, fresh eggs, greens and herbs. The fresh butter was the best part that had been missing from before. It would take a while to prepare everything, but at least they would have a good home cooked meal before heading out into the void again. 

While collecting your ingredients Omega comes into the room, surprised to see you run around with such huge amount of food. "damn, i know i'm big n all but i can survive on way less than that." You explain to him what you're planning and he smiles widely. "oh i see! i'd love to see what that grub is all about. let me help ya out ey?" He helps you carry your ingredients and asks Violet where the kitchen is. Violet leads you into another grandiose room filled with any kitchen utensils and appliance you'd need, some of which you can't even imagine what it might be for. The thin skeleton seems intrigued with you and asks if they can also help out to learn your recipe. Seems like they're quite the passionate cook themself. 

Thankful for the help, those pots are quite large, Yarnus gets to chatting about the recipe, pausing to let Omega translate where needed for Violet. Making the stuffing was quick. The hour of simmering the chicken was passed by idle chat. The final poaching of the eggs, possibly the hardest part, went well and before long everyone was served Yarnus' favorite comfort food. 

While waiting for the chicken and chatting away, Omega gives you small lessons of the language they call 'WingDings', helping you to understand it a tiny bit better. You learn a few words and understand the word order well enough to actually differentiate the spoken words, which helps you understand Violet a little better.  
Once the food is served you get to eating. The fresh ingredients and cooking expertise of both you and Violet make it so that this is one of the best Howtodies you've ever had. Omega takes the first sip and stars appear in his eyes. " i'm in love, " he whispers softly, then laughs. Violet seems to have a more refined taste, but nods with a smile at the dish, letting you know they enjoy it.  
Both you and Omega eat a whole lot, but before you can overfeed Violet makes the offer of canning the rest of your food to go. They shows you their canning machine and explain how it works, then after you agree they pour the rest of your food in and give you the resulting four cans to keep you fed on your travels.  
Finally, you're all ready to go. You're well fed, clean and supplied - ready to take on anything.  
"anythin else ya wanna get?" Omega asks as Violet prepares your door. 

Yarnus checks over his supplies. Cuirass in place, sword by his side, hammer tucked in the back of his belt, and a backpack secured with the length of his trusty rope. "I think this is it? Do you think it'll be as long of a journey as they said?" 

Omega shrugs. "nothin is too sure here in the void." You can't but agree.  
Before you go Violet gives both of you small white shining wristbands, their wishes of best luck as well as a hug. They thank you once again for helping them and their children and assure you that you are always welcome in their home.  
Then you take on your journey once again. You walk into a long straight tunnel, armed against the darkness with the strong white light Violet gave you. It seems there's nowhere to go but forward.  
As you walk, nothing around you seems to change. Omega whistles silently, a happy little spring in his step, the darkness before you subsiding from the light while also following you from behind. Omega begins to make up another song as he goes, this one is about 'cutting life into peaches' and that 'they're a healthy snack'. You don't understand the meaning, but at least it seems he's having fun.  
Finally the surroundings change. You come to a wonky crossroad, continuing forward as you were told. Later on you run into more and more branching ways, looking more like the caves you've seen with Tzacl.  
"we just gotta walk forward n we'll be ay-okay," Omega says at another crossroad, "what can be easier than-"  
He's interrupted by a low growl echoing from one of the caves beside you. Quickly you turn to see - two clusters of yellow eyes stare at you from the darkness. 

Seeing the cluster of eyes, Yarnus assumes that this might be another of Perlos victims. "We're just passing through." He tries to keep his voice low and steady as he steps closer to Omega. If this amalgam has the same senses as he does, even thinking of an attack could provoke it, so he tries to not think about how he fought with Perlo, and saw him killed by Tzacl, and shit... too late, those thoughts come to mind and he freezes. 

The creature's eyes shine and blink randomly, measuring you over. The more you try not to think about the aggression and danger the more you do think about it and the more you can see distress and fear in the eyes of the amalgam. It makes noises that sound somewhere between aggressive growls and barks and painful moans and groans. It begins to approach, its eyes following every twitch of your lights. A long snout full of teeth appears and behind it two large eye sockets filled with yellow eyes of different sizes. Four long lanky arms step around nervously on their tippytoes while the sound of more feet patting on the cold rock echoes from behind.  
"whoa easy there, easy!" Omega walks in front of you, his arms up. The creature still seems on the edge but its eyes aren't fixated on you anymore. It takes you a while, but as Omega talks to it gently and moves his hands around, you realize its stare is fixated on the shining wristband.  
The creature snarls dangerously and Omega steps back carefully, trying to remain calm. "this one doesn't look so clumsy," he whispers to you, "i might be able to beat it if it attacks, but i'd prefer to not have to fight it. could end up pretty bad." 

Honestly Yarnus had thought it would have been more aggressive. Looking at it now, it was scared of them, but still curious. The thoughts of violence fell away and Yarnus slowly stepped around. "I'm sorry I scared you." He moves his hand gently around, letting the glowing band shine. "You like our bands don't you?" Removing his he holds it out for the creature. "You can have mine if you want." 

With your head clearing up, it seems the creature has calmed. It blinks at you, its many eyes shifting between the shining wristband and your own eyes. After a moment of silence, the only sound its hard fast breathing, it leans its snout closer to you. It is quite terrifying to see the maw full of teeth approach, but you stay calm. You know it doesn't mean you harm.  
The creature touches your hand with the tip of its nose, sniffing into your hand like a dog or a horse. Long hesitant fingers, with way more joint that usual, carefully reach into your hand and take the band from you. You just stand there and watch as the creature leans back and stares at the band in its hands. You can see a turmoil of emotions in its many eyes.  
It raises the band up and gently puts it on the top of its own head, sort of like a tiny halo. It seems content now, walking past you and into a different cave exit. It's long snake like body with many long slender legs whizzes by you before the light disappears completely.  
Omega just stands there, his remaining wristband the only source of light now. He stares at where the creature had left, then an amazed smile spreads over his face.  
"whoa lill man, that was amazing! ya quite literally had them in the palm of your hand, heheh!" Then he sighs a bit, "i hope it's okay... it seemed pretty by its senses, maybe it'll meet violet n they'll be able to help. well anyway..."  
He turns around but then stops. He turn to the left and makes a few steps before stopping again. Worryingly he looks around. "uhh... which way did we get here?" You go pale when you realize you don't have an idea either. Everything looks the same and the scary experience had completely rid you of your sense of direction for a moment. 

"Well it went that way" he points in the one direction he knew. "And it came from there...I think", pointing in the opposite direction. "So I think it was this direction." Yarnus was pretty sure he had the right direction. "If not we might run into someone who knows the way. The traders apparently have folk they deal with around here." 

Omega still seems a bit unsure, scratching his skull and looking the way you point out. He shrugs, smiling and patting your back. "well i trust yer instincts lill bud," he says, stepping out on your way again, "besides, yer right that we can just ask around."  
You go on, keeping to the track. Omega now sings a song about it not being unusual to be loved, once again leaving you puzzled. At least it sounds nice.  
Suddenly the cave opens up into a huge cave opening. An enormous space with huge stalagtites hanging from the ceiling over deep dark chasms. Faint light is coming down from above, shedding just enough light for you to see the silhouettes of some buildings standing on the other side of one of the rock bridges.  
"huh... violet said nothin bout this," Omega utters, "...should we check it out?" 

Yarnus nods, "Even if we got off track, it was only a little bit. Maybe there's someone here that can set us straight." Even though he could use his eye to light the way, he traveled close to Omega to conserve his energy for better purposes. 

You walk around the edge of the chasm until you reach the bridge. You stumble a little, turning around to see what that was and notice wide railroad tracks spreading over the length of the bridge. Strange small flowers that look like they're made of stone grow around, making a silent tapping sound when you step between them.  
When you step out on the bridge, keeping in the center of the tracks to keep away from the dangerous edges, you spot a sign come out of the darkness as you approach. It's way too dusty and old to be read though.  
You feel uneasy as you cross, and it seems Omega feels it too, since he stopped singing for once. It's so silent, only the rushing of water from somewhere very far off echoing into the enormous cave. Although you're getting closer to the buildings it doesn't seem like anybody is home.  
The sound of rushing water suddenly starts to get louder. Both of you stop, looking around with worry. You eyes catch a glimpse of light blinking far off in the cave and quickly disappearing, then appearing again. It looks like... headlights?  
You realize too late what the source of the still rising noise is as the bright lights and the screeching of metal approaches fast. A huge locomotive drives onto the bridge and its headlights shine right onto you.  
"WHOA HOLY SHIT! FLOOR IT!" The train begins to make a terrible screeching sound as you both panic, turning tail and running for it. You both already know you won't be able to outrun it though.  
Before you can even think of anything to do you feel Omega grab you by your cuirass and suddenly you're airborne. He throws you as hard as he can, getting you into safety just second before the train would reach you. You fly, flailing your arms and legs before falling onto the rock. Your armour saves you from any serious injury, although you've hit your skull quite hard.  
Not paying mind to your pain you look back to where Omega has been, seeing that the train had finally stopped. Slowly, the giant machine begins to recede before stopping at the point where you've been thrown. Then, loud skull piercing whistling echoes into the cave. The train just stands there and whistles loudly, over and over.  
You can't see your big friend anywhere. 

Stumbling Yarnus backs away from the rails and the ledge. Nothing makes sense in his head. Trains don't just randomly go backwards. Perhaps it's not a train. The whistle is a howl. It's howling at him. It has killed Omega and is ready to lunge at him! Yarnus grabs at his sword, but falls to the side against a large rock that scraps his arm. Another Challenger Appears! This rock monster is no match versus Yarnus' mighty hammer. "HAVE AT YOU, YOU FIEND!" The sounds of a hammer striking rock ring out between the train’s horn blasts. 

You strike against the rock so hard, but all that happens is the hammer bounces off and recoils back, hitting you on the forehead. You stumble back, falling on your butt on the cold ground, your eyes wide. Your skull is ringing with the impact, more confusion flooding your mind. What just happened?  
The ringing in your skull slowly turns back into the whistling as your mind clears off the shock. The train still stands there, as if screaming, over and over. You try to stand up but stumble, falling to the floor yet again. The sizzling of steam echoes as the train puffs loudly. Still on the ground you look towards where your friend had been on his last seconds of life... only to notice the soft blue glow, hanging over the edge of the bridge right next to where the train stands and yells. 

Thinking a bit more clearly Yarnus grabs the rope from around his pack and heads towards the train. His balance was still off a bit, so he dropped to his hands and knees whenever he needed more stability. "Omega! I'm coming!" he shouted between the whistle blows. As he gets closer he looks up at the train and glowers at it as hard as he can muster. Why didn't they help, blowing the whistle wasn't much of a help, more or a headache. 

You run to Omega, the rope already prepared in your hands. Omega hangs there, grinding his teeth in strain, trying to get himself up without much luck. Once he sees you his eyes get hopeful.  
"yarnus you're okay!" he says joyfully, as if he wasn't in deadly danger at the moment. The train has stopped whistling, and now just stands there, shining its front lights at you. 

There's no way Yarnus could pull up Omega on his own, and at the moment there wasn't much time to think of anything else. He quickly tied one end to the front grill of the train and laid down on the tracks as close as possible to Omega. Yarnus moved quickly whipping the rope around Omegas arms and knotting it before lowering the loop to Omegas chest. "Hold on tight, this might hurt a little." Suddenly jerking up the knot tighten around his ribs. A muffled yelp came from below. "Just a little longer, if you fall now it'll really hurt."  
Yarnus moved back to engine and took up the slack in the rope. The years he spent with the old human sailors was really paying off today. The knot he had first tied was a taut-line hitch. Meaning he could adjust it without needing to unknot and risk dropping Omega.  
"MOVE FORWARD! SLOWLY!" He banged on the side of the engine. Hopefully they could hear him, or at least was watching enough to know what he intended. "Omega! Try to move along the side! When we get to the edge they can pull you up!"  
Yarnus held tightly to the grill, praying to every god he had ever heard of that this would work. 

The huge machine lets out a loud puff of steam before very slowly moving forward. You can hear Omega groan with pain and strain as the locomotive begins to pull him along the edge, doing his best to keep up on his hands. YOu watch him closely, ready to react if there was any trouble. Omegas hand slips a few times, making your soul almost jump out of your chest, but he always finds his grip again and goes on.  
Slowly but surely you make it to the end of the bridge. The train stops at first, then begins to move again, dragging Omega out and on the solid ground. The big skeleton is out of breath and seems hurt, but is very much alive. He crawls away from the edge and lays on his back, catching his breath. 

Yarnus nearly falls over as soon as he let's go of the grill. Not even caring to untie those knots first he stumbles over to Omega and falls to his knees next to him. There's no words. Yarnus just lays himself gently across the larger skeletons chest and breathes with him. After a bit he sits up. His sockets are dark and damp as his fingers work on the knot. Yarnus starts to smile again after one last tug loosens the rope from around Omega's ribs. 

Omega opens his eyes, his irises darker than usual. When he sees your smile his eyes begin to shine brighter again and he reaches a hand to you, petting your cheek softly.  
"heheh, see? ya did it again. you could write books about savin my butt by now, heheheh." He holds you closer for a moment, petting you affectionately. "thank you..."  
After you've both calmed down again Omega gets up, looking towards the huge machine idly standing by. "i better have a word with that guy, whoever he is. i know he almost ran us over but he did save me, too. i gotta thank him." Both of you get up and approach the locomotive.  
Omega grabs the knob and tries to open the door to the control cabin, but strangely it would not budge. Not having any luck opening it, he knocks on the door instead. "hello? anybody?" He jumps back when the machine whistles again and puffs out steam, moving backwards. You both just stand there as the locomotive backs off a little until the headlights shine onto you, blinding you both. Then the light subsides and you finally get a good look at the front of the machine.  
The front of the machine is shaped like a skull, except with no lower jaw, the dimming reflectors being its eyes. You wonder if the person inside is turning the machine off before they'd come out-  
You jump back in shock when you see the white irises of the machine subtly move your way.  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I pushed some chapters out in a hurry because I wanted to get to this last scene before I disappear into my work week. I honestly screamed in happiness meeting this new character. I'll try to set up some new chapters as soon as possible, cause there's a lot of adventures to be had when you have a new train friend.


	18. Run Away Train

Yarnus looks a bit dumbfounded as he rubs his forehead. His previous delusion sort of made sense in a roundabout way. It was a monster, he guessed, that was calling out to him. But only because it had no means to help Omega by itself.   
"Let me get that rope off." Yarnus rushed up and began untying the hitch knot. While he worked on it he was talking to it. "Thank you for helping us. I'm sorry I glared at you. Thanks for stopping. I'm sorry we were in your way." Once he got the locomonster free he stepped back a moment before choosing an appropriate spot to embrace it, "Thank you so much." 

Omega seems confused, probably having not noticed the eye movement of the locomotive. He comes closer, rubbing your back solicitously. "uh, you okay there lill fam?" he asks, "did ya hit yer head or-" He stops suddenly, his eyes going wide. Slowly he covers his mouth. "is... is that train...?" He steps back. " oh stars... "   
The machine doesn't move as you hug it, just softly letting out a puff of steam. Omega comes back close and runs his hand gently above its eyesocket, his voice shaky. "is it- is it okay? i mean is he- o-or she... are they okay like this?" He turns his question towards the locomotive instead of you. "were you always like this, or did- did something happen to you?"   
The locomotive doesn't answer, it's silent eyes staring at Omega. It seems it isn't actually able to blink.   
A more silent and drawn out sound of its whistle sounds pitifully into the silence of the giant cave. There's no other response.   
Omega looks away, then sits down on the ground. He seems devastated, not even caring about his hurt ribs anymore. The train stares at him intensely, then its unblinking gaze turns to you. Its huge white irises glow at you and you feel as if they were trying to tell you something... Suddenly Omega lifts his head up.   
"yarnus! you- you have that soul eyes thing right? can you- are you able to like-" he seems to not know the right words to describe what he wants you to do, groaning frustratingly and snapping his fingers. "you know! just check if they're okay, please? i want to know..." 

"I could do a scan." That was the simplest means of stating it. Yarnus moved in front of the locomotive so that it's lights could fall on him. Though it may not be able to talk, he was sure it could understand, so he made a point to speak to it. "Where I come from I'm a judge, that means I can see into another's soul. Most of the time I can just tell what you're strongest emotion is, but I can look deeper and understand more if I need to, but..." Yarnus fiddles his finger together nervously. "I'm told it that it feels unsettling, like having your personal space invaded. 'Cause that's sorta what I'm doing."   
He reaches out and lightly lays a hand on it. "If you'll let me scan you, make whatever sound you use to agree, if you don't want me to scan you, or want me to stop once I start, just pull away from me and I'll stop." 

The unmoving eyes stare you down for a moment in complete silence. After a few seconds, just as you're about to pull back, the loud piercing sound of its whistle sounds and the machine moves forward the slightest bit, bumping into you.   
You take that as its consent and put your hands on the side of its face, staring deeply into its unblinking eyes.   
You reach out and feel the machine pull back slightly, getting unsure again. Its lack of means of communication is putting you on the edge, but there's no other protest. You push on.   
Usually you're able to distinguish what you see in one's soul right away, it's not the first time you've done this. Looking into the soul of the machine however, you're confused, so confused. There's not much that would resemble emotion as you know it. And the deeper you go, the more unknown and alien it gets.   
Desperate for answers you reach as deep as you can, then are suddenly blinded. You recoil back and fall, but feel no impact of the floor. Nothing you have ever known makes sense suddenly, your language, your memories, the feeling in your bones... all of it is gone, out of your ability of cognition. Instead, you feel an indescribable feeling of commitment, but at the same time hatred to what you're supposed to do. You feel your purpose leaving you until you're all alone in the silence of the caves. The rails feel cold under your wheels and all you can do is run and run and run, the one track being your only space, with freedom all around you but always just out of reach. The ways you travel are engraved into your mind like a movie you've watched a million times, the darkness your only way to rest with your unblinking eyes. You don't feel pain anymore, not in the physical sense. You feel nothing, only the cold metal surrounding your very being. Your life is a cold and lonely hell of tracks and tunnels and bridges that you've seen a million times, no way to escape, no way to leave, but one way to end it. You dream of a day when your wheels crush the tracks, when you break the cycle, when you run one last time with all the speed your body can muster and crash as violently as you can to finally end it all in a glorious explosion of screeching metal and sizzling steam.   
You recoil back and fall, this time making impact, thankful to feel the cold damp rock under your butt. As if afraid of losing yourself you grab around to make sure you have hands and you have feet and your eyes can close and there's air flowing through your ribcage. You're covered in cold sweat from the experience, staring into the unmoving eyes of the living machine, your eyes tearing up with the lingering feeling of endless despair that is not yours. 

Yarnus sits for a while regaining as much composure as possible while looking back and forth between Omega and the train. After a while he just stares at his own hands while he talks. "You're stuck here, on the rails, everyone's gone and it's so, so lonely." Yarnus stands and dusts himself off. "We're a little like that ourselves. Our worlds are gone and we can never go back. Here in the void there aren't many friendly faces, so we..." Yarnus smiles at them, "We gotta take care of each other the best way we can."   
The attempt at cheering up both himself and the train wasn't the best, but then the gears in his head start turning. "Wait... I think I know... It could work... It worked on Omega..." Yarnus nearly starts to vibrate with a his idea. "We know someone who has access to a machine. It can remove a soul and put it back, or into another body." He turns to the locomotive, "If there was a chance at freedom, would you take it?" 

The train doesn't answer, only stares at you, unmoving. You wait patiently for an answer, but none comes.   
Still waiting, you beg her with your eyes to answer, you want it to work, you need this to be a way out for her. But slowly you realize, she is not a person. She is a train. She knows how to be a train, she knows how to ride the rails and obey traffic lights and recognize the conductors orders.   
If she barely understands the concepts of her own existence... would she be able to be a person? You feel the hope in your soul slowly die out.   
No, you can't leave it like this! You can't just leave her alone in her own special hell. You have to do something or at least try! You rush closer to her and grab onto her huge face, repeating your last words louder.   
Silence. You feel your eyesockets filling with tears again.   
You ask once more. But she remains unresponsive.   
She doesn't understand the concept of true freedom after all...   
While you're gripping onto her, not even sure how you know it's a 'her', Omega sits aside, seemingly confused and a little scared.   
"do you think that'll work? they won't even fit in the lab i'm afraid," Omega sighs, "maybe if we got the soul machine out instead... we can sure as hell try." 

"Violet could do it! If that hack Perlo could do it, Violet could do it better! You could be anything you want, even a train again. There's a town we're trying to get to, Sweezer or something, it has loads of people that could use a good train, they could build new tracks for you." The pleading in his voice was reaching an all time high. "Even if the process failed...at least we can say we tried." 

Seeing you in such despair, Omega rushes to you to give you a comforting hug. The locomotive follows you with her eyes, watching carefully as Omega lifts you up and holds you close.   
"don't worry lill' man," he says softly, "we'll do our best, even if we might not succeed. i'm with you all the way." He looks to the locomotive. "there's gotta be something we can do..."   
As he watches the train, suddenly she lets out another puff of steam as she begins to move forward, quite slowly. Omega steps out of her way and watches as she passes by and goes on between the buildings. Not saying anything, Omega follows the huge machine, holding you on his arms.   
The town is abandoned, as you thought. An old pile of crushed bones is slowly turning to dust by the tracks as she makes her way through the street, until she reaches what appears to be a depot. She stops for just a moment, giving you both a fleeting glance, before turning around on the roundabout and backing off into one of the dark sidings, a small stall made of wood. Her white irises remain staring out, motionless. Omega stares back for a while, then looks down at you.   
"seems like they decided to take a nap?" he ponders. "hey! are you taking a nap?" The train doesn't respond. "i guess so," Omega shrugs, turning around to look what else he could find, but as he does the whistle of the train startles him so much he almost drops you. He turns around to the train questioningly. "huh? ya trying to tell me something?"   
No response. Omega shrugs and turns away but as he does the train whistles again, louder and longer this time. Omega crooks his eyearches confusedly. "what do you think they want?" he asks you in a whisper. 

"I think she wants us to stay with her. She's lonely here, but this is her home." Yarnus wiggles out of Omegas grasp and makes his way to the stall. "Do you want us to stay here for a while? Or am I not understanding?" 

Once you approach, the locomotive backs off deeper into the wooden box, as if inviting you in. Seems like she really does want you to come inside.   
The room inside looks very old, but not as old as the rest of the city. From the not nearly as dusty mattresses, pieces of trash and carvings on the wall you can tell you're not the first traveler to have kept the train company. Some of the carved graffiti include such elegant phrases as "choo choo", "trains are people too" and "waluigi was here".   
On the concrete floor further inside is a makeshift fireplace with a few wonky looking metal rods fixed above to serve as a sort of grill. A few empty cans that were obviously ran over by the train are scattered around.   
The last thing to catch your interest is a paper with a childish drawing of the train holding hands with some lizard looking monster pinned by the entrance so that the train can look at it when in the box. 

Yarnus moves around carefully so as not to disturb anything. Stopping at the drawing he points to it. "You've had friends here before. But only travelers like us." The sad realization that they all leave, or turn to dust, leaving the train alone again hits him hard. The soul scanning he did seems to have made him a bit empathic. "But, we want to help you, and have other friends that could help." 

The machine just lets out a little puff of steam.   
"hey! take a look at this," Omega gets your attention, dusting off a particullary old metal plate by the entrance. It takes him a while before it's readable, but eventually you get to see what's written on it. "Masheenka"   
"do you think that's its name?" Omega asks. You don't think so. You know so.   
Omega turns to the train with a huge smile. "so your name is 'Masheenka' huh?? what a pretty name you got," he says sweetly. At the sound of her own name she begins to whistle excitedly. "hehe, she likes that." He turns to you and looks closely at your head, "lets check those injuries tho, alright?"   
You make a fire and Omega puts you into his lap, looking you over to see any possible damages. Despite hitting your head twice, there's nothing worse than a little bruise. Omega has some ugly ropeburns and his hands are scratched from the rocky edges, but other than that he's as healthy as veggies. Masheenka stares at you throughout the whole ordeal, watching you with her unblinking eyes carefully. 

Yarnus sets out some cans to warm on the fire, as he does he looks around and notices the squashed cans. "Masheenka? Is this how you eat?" He holds up one to make himself clear. She must be really hungry if she depends on others for energy. 

She doesn't answer yet again, so you try to get an answer from your surroundings instead. Looking over the cans they don't seem to be chewed up or have had contained much food... You try putting an empty can over the rail to see what happens. Masheenka excitedly runs it over with her wheel, then backs off again. It seems more like a sort of game than a way to feed.   
While you're trying to understand the train, Omega has dusted the mattresess off, putting the sheet from his pocket over them for good measure.   
"better than nothin ey? it ain't really big enough for the both of us... you can sleep on top of me, heheh." He comes closer and sits next to you by the fire. "whatchya doin for dinner?" 

Yarnus pokes at the fire and checks the cans. "Since we don't really have any pots with us, I found some canned stew to bring. Should be enough to heal us up." He pulls them off to let them cool next to the fire. "Maybe we should pick up a pot when we go back to Violets Lab?" 

Omega just hums in agreement as he continues to search around. On the other side of the box is a shelf with all kind of old dusty stuff, mostly tools and components for the train herself. All of it is covered in a layer of dust. Seems like nobody bothered maintaining her for quite a while, yet she doesn't look too worn.   
As you continue to carefully stirr the cans so that they cool down faster, Omega suddenly calls for you from the other side of Masheenka.   
"whoa, look what i found!" he says excitedly, running around her, followed by her stare. He's holding a piece of torn folded paper. "this could be interesting."   
As he comes closer and unfolds the paper on the concrete ground, you realize what it is. It's a map of the train tracks and stops, written in a font you understand. It seems to be from the time when Masheenka was brand new, talking about the first train that drives itself. Apparently she was made for easier transportation of people, goods and other stuff throughout the tunnel system.   
Right now you're in a town called 'Rotushko', with about 3 more smaller towns spread around. Other stops include a mine and a pit, where she would carry the unwanted stone and debrie from the mineworks and dump it into the endless ravine. There's a few more which don't have much importance, except the one stop at Violet's labs! Unfortunately, 'coming soon' is written under the stop.   
"well it's an old piece of paper, maybe it works now," Omega says, "we can sure as hell try." He stares into the map for a while, zipping his finger around, then a huge smile spreads over his face. "hey, it seems the train also goes to where we are trying to get! well, at least i think so, if we got off here and were supposed to ho there..." he continues to ponder, trying to assure if he's right, while Masheenka makes tiny silent puffs of steam with no real reason.   
The soup is the perfect temperature to eat now. 

Yarnus starts to eat up quickly. Between the multiple knocks to the head, nearly losing Omega again, and being in the mind of a train, his aching head could use the healing food. "Maybe after we rest a bit we can go see how close the tracks get to Violets Lab". Worried that Masheenka might have gotten upset at that idea he added, "We rescued Violet a few days ago, so that area is getting better. That other guy is gone for good."   
He finishes his meal and begins to look around for something that he could drape over Masheenka's eyes. She deserves some rest as well, like covering a bird cage to calm it. 

You find a huge thin black sheet, it's kinda dusty and dirty but it'll do well enough. You come back in front of Masheenka with the sheet, her eyes fixed on you as usual, then throw it over her head. Her white irises are still shining through, looking around frantically at first, then calms down and just stares forward. Like a deep exhale, she lets out a long drawn out puff of steam, then goes completely silent and motionless, her unclosable eyes still barely visible through the sheet.   
With that taken care of you get back to the fire, Omega already finished with his meal. He smiles at you in his usual cheery and friendly manner, the points of his huge canines poking out of his jaw slightly. As you approach he lays down on his back on the mattress and pats his belly, inviting you to lay on him. With a tired smile you come right over.   
When you get close enough he begins to direct you with his hands, eventually ending up handling you like he usually does. He lays you down gently on the top of his belly, zipping you up into his parka and putting his huge arms over you. It's so warm and comfortable with him, his slow calm breath raising you on his chest.   
"what a crazy day huh? i sure hope we can help this poor thing..." he mutters, rubbing your skull with his thumb absentmindedly. "i wonder who would do such a thing, creatin somebody so unwhole and agonized just by existin... just to have a train that drives itself? how awful can ya get." He looks to the train with sorrow, then turns back to you and bundles you up a little more. "there's gotta be somethin we can do..." 


	19. Sticks and Stones

The warmth from his position under the parka nearly dragged Yarnus into slumber before he could even think to respond. “Probably the same that made Perlo…” his voice faltered as he started to fall asleep. “Not Violet… those machines… tracks don’t go… zzzzz.” The small skeleton was unconscious before Omega had a chance to figure out what he was babbling about.  
Yarnus walked in a circle around Masheenka, his eyes blazing dangerously bright. Pain filling his skull and running down his spine. Standing in front of her form his eyes drop to the ground as he lifted an arm up pointing at her. Suddenly she was lifted up in the air, suspended by dirty red spikes of bone. Tzaclkratz steps up and lets the locomotive drop with a ground shaking thud before sending wave after wave of attacks. The air is filled with the sound of rending metal and the tall skeletons maniacal laughter. After a while only unrecognizable shreds of metal remain and the tall skeleton loses interest and recedes into the darkness.  
Yarnus feels relief yet sadness looking at the mangled remains of Masheenka. Large familiar hands rest on his shoulders for a moment. “don’t worry little guy. we got this.” Omegas voice seems to echo around him, but a moment later two large skeletons step forward in tandem. They push the scrap heap off the tracks and roll it into a ravine before returning and pulling up the tracks. The creature wearing a glowing halo gathers up the lengths of track that the Omegas loosen and ferry them off into the darkness.  
A hot, heavy blast of steam blows against the back of Yarnus’ skull accompanied by a low rumble. Turning, his eyes meet with Masheenkas white irises. The long white face resembles a skull framed by a black and gray mane. She pushes forward nuzzling against his chest then turns to kneel down. “go on! you two have fun!” The Omegas united voices urge him to climb on top of the gray dapple mare and suddenly they are off.  
The darkness of the void fades away and they are running in the plains. Wind rushing through Yarnus’ bones and Masheenkas mane. Looking to the side he sees another horse galloping alongside of them, it’s large floppy ears and cow's tail not at all a surprise to Yarnus. 

Somewhere from behind you you hear silent whistling, turning around, but suddenly you can't see very well. You try your best to open your eyes more so that you may see what it is, but as you do, you realize you've been dreaming.  
You finally open your eyes, outside the beautiful grassy plains and in the world of the awake. As you slowly come to your senses you begin to figure out what your mind interpreted into your dream. Masheenkas idle puffing and whistling, Omega breathing on you as he snores, a pile of cans that were knocked over by something, the draft or Masheenka's movement. Still in the warmth of Omegas parka you lay still, trying to regain the nice feeling from the dream just a little longer.  
You fully wake up only as Masheenka begins to slowly move forward, the black sheet still over her face. She goes forward, then back slightly, repeating the movement a few times until the screen falls off. As it does she carefully runs over it with her wheels, slowly so that she doesn't damage it, before going out of the box and riding outside unhastily with slow paced steam puffing. 

“Ma-Masheenka? Where are you going?” Yarnus yawns and begins to wiggle out of Omegas grasp. Going up isn’t much of an option so he shimmies down and out of the parka in the most undignified manner. She’s still slowly rolling away as he rights his kilt and follows her slowly. “Can I come with you?” Since the locomotive is bound to the tracks Yarnus sees no harm following after her. He can always turn around and return to Omega if need be. 

Omega is woken up when you stumble off of him, slowly rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. "what's goin on? where ya goin?" He gets up, opening his jaws wide with a long yawn, showing off his enormous teeth. The train continues, suddenly picking up speed and quickly disappearing, only the light of her reflectors remaining until it too sinks into the deep darkness of the caves. You really don't feel like running, especially not after a speeding train, so you stop, staying behind. Omega comes to you and puts his hands on your shoulder before his hands slip down and he leans into you playfully, putting his chin on the top of your head.  
"guess she wants to take a lill jog in the mornin, heheh." He gets back up, holding onto you lightly with physical affection. "never thought i'd find a train this darn cute," he laughs, "she's like a lost lill pupper." You ask what a pupper is. "oh, a pupper is a lill doggo." You ask what a doggo is. "a big ol' pupper," Omega grins, snickering. You sigh, but have to chuckle as well.  
You're now alone in the abandoned city. Everything around you seems old and dusty... but most of everything is made of wood, unlike Violet's labs which were made exclusively of cut stone. Where did they get all this wood down here in the caves?  
There's the conductors house, the library and the town hall. Other than that there's a whole bunch of smaller buildings and one huge storage building that has already fell, only a huge mess of splinters remaining. 

Choosing between the buildings, Yarnus tugs at Omega's jacket. "Maybe we can find out what happen here at the town hall? It probably has recent papers laying about." He moves ahead carefully crossing wooden planks and testing them for stability. 

The old wood squeaks under your feet as you approach the huge building. It's not very pretty, and you don't think it was even while it wasn't old and worn. It's just a box with some cut out windows. The people who build this city had no taste for architecture what so ever.  
You enter the room, lighting your way since it's pitch dark. Luckily for your eyes you soon find some candles that you carefully place on one of the tables, looking out for the open flame in the dusty old wooden house. There's an office window and the mayor's office, then further back a huge archive. Sadly, all of its files are illegible because of a water leak that has sprung who knows how long ago in the corner of the room. The humidity has destroyed all of the information that was stacked here.  
You do however find some interesting things in the mayor's office, in which the draft has kept the room a good humidity and temperature. It's still not easy to decipher but you find a huge book that speaks about trades the town has made. Apparently their economy thrived on gemstones and 'plumhelmets', which Omega explain is a kind of edible fungus. Reading further you discover that they had collected all of the materials and researched the technology, but had another city create Masheenka for them in their metal works. The name of the city she was truly created in is smudged however. 

Yarnus wonders at what a plumhelmet tastes like and if there are any growing wild still. "I guess the gemstones they were mining ran out and they all just up and left." As soon as he said that he remembered this is all just a hunk of an old world somewhere in this mysterious void.  
"The trader referred to me as 'one of those' travelers when I asked about the hub the first time. So not everyone we've met came from this broken world. Maybe Masheenka was the only one from her world that made it here. She definitely didn't travel here like we did." He walks back towards Omega, "Should we see if the library has fared better?" 

Omega agrees, lifting you up into his arms for no real reason and whistling a tune while you talk over to the library.  
The library is actually very small, only having about 5 shelves. Most of the books have been already taken away, but looking at the rest you can imagine they were not very important. Seems this library only had storybooks and such...  
Only one of the shelves has something interesting in it. There's a cookbook and a huge tome that is revealed to have been the town's history book! A lot of it has been destroyed by the elements, but some is still legible.  
Seems like the town has been built by monsters that have been lost in the void and found their way to one another. The town started out only about two hundred years ago with something over 80 people. They would mine 'voidrock' which is a kind of rock that can only be dug out in these parts. It's a very heavy and solid stone, good for building. They would use 'knahaars', which you can only guess are some sort of carrier animals, to transport the rock into the 'Grasslands' for trades. They would get all their wood from them, building their city from it as a sign of wealth. Looking around at the terrible state everything is in it was a very shortsighted decision. Later when other settlements came and voidrock was no longer an exclusive commodity, they began digging for metals and gemstones, eventually building a railroad to carry off the unwanted rubble and stone chunks. When they figured out they could build their railroads wider out and into the other cities and charge fees for transport, they concentrated most of their efforts into making a cheaper and cheaper way of transport. Their head scientist named Mellow, who apparently worked for many years with Violet, had created blueprints to create a monster in the shape and mind of a locomotive, which would greatly cut down on fuel prices. She was assembled in a city called 'Bedrun', not too far from here, in their giant metalworks. The 'living part of her', as the book puts it, was created by Mellow in a laboratory located in Grasslands.  
"huh, maybe that's where the hub is?" Omega wonders. He rubs his chin, reading over your shoulder as you sit in his lap in the library. "hmm, the book doesn't say a darn thing bout why everyone left. if they really just moved, why wouldn't they take the amazing living train with them? they seem to have worked really hard on gettin her..." 

Yarnus closes the book and holds it, resting his chin on it's side. "She hates what she does. I'm not sure if it's because people don't use her anymore... or because they USE her." He hands the book over to Omega so he doesn't have to get down off his lap. "I think she might be hiding here. The grasslands are supposed to be well populated but she's lonely. Maybe people have forgotten she's alive or..." sighing he leans into Omega, "...or maybe they don't care."  
A moment passes but before Omega can add anything he continues, "I think she was trying to wreck herself. That's something that's in her mind... the hatred and loneliness and lack of purpose... it makes her want to end it the only way she knows how." Yarnus sits up and grabs onto Omegas parka. "That's why we have to help her. The hub can wait, she can't." 

Omega seems deeply shaken by the thought of her being suicidal. He holds onto you, putting the book away and taking a moment, sighing in silence.  
"you're right lill' man," he says, "there's a million hubs all throughout the void but there's only one sad train. we gotta do somethin for her before it's too late." He stands up with you in his arms and prepares to leave, but just before he does he snatches the cookbook and stashes it in his huge pocket.  
You come out only to find that Masheenka has already come back, standing in the middle of the townsquare and puffing silently. You thought you heard rumbling when you were reading, looks like you were right. Once she spots you she runs off, only to come back seconds after facing the opposite direction. Seems like she just wanted to turn around to see you better.  
When Omega approaches with a big friendly smile she starts whistling repeatedly, as if in excitement. When he comes all the way to her and puts you down to pat her head she lets out a huge puff of steam and drives closer, gently bumping into him.  
"hey big fella," Omega rubs her cheek playfully, like petting a dog, "who’s a good train ey?" He chuckles as she whistles even more rapidly, "she’s so darn cute!" Then he pulls away, coming closer to you. "i think you might be right bout violet, since they worked with that mellow guy, maybe they know somethin n could help this poor girl out. we'll have to get her to them first tho," he scratches his skull, looking over Masheenkas huge proportions. 

Yarnus was glad to see that Masheenka had returned, and in good spirits, judging by her reactions. "Wasn't there a planned line going to Violets lab? Maybe they built it already, if not we could probably get her pretty close." Yarnus looks up and down the locomotive. He had heard of trains before but never had any experience with one, living or normal. "How does one ride a living train anyway?" 

Omega shrugs, "beats me. i only rode regular trains, n definitely not in the locomotive itself. i hated mass transport anyway, bein this big i always feel awfully inconvenient... you'd feel the same if ya were this big." He looks back to Masheenka, looking her up and down and humming in thought. "i don't think we can actually get on her, figuratively or literally." He chuckles lightly, "but there's gotta be somethin the old folk used ey?"  
He walks around the machine, her eyes following him as far as she can move them. He gently nudges her back bumper with his foot, making her puff out steam. Omega apologizes in case that was rude or uncomfortable, but since she doesn't respond he just goes ahead and calls you closer.  
"lookit' dat," he says, pointing at her coupler, the mechanism used to connect more wagons to the locomotive. It's slightly crooked and it looks like a bit has been torn off, but it's hard to tell how. "looks like we wouldn't be able to connect a wagon either, well, if we even had one."  
Suddenly with a loud whistle and a puff of steam Masheenka begins to slowly back off, both of you quickly jumping out of her way. She recedes carefully, then stops, and to your surprise her doors slide open. A faint white glow shines out from the inside, a whole lot of dust from inside gently blowing out, dancing in the light.  
Then she just stands there.  
Omega chuckles and turns to you excitedly, approaching the train. "would'ya lookit' that!" He stops next to the door and turns to you, grinning widely, and points a hand to the door. "after you buddo."  
You come closer, but can't reach the high door. Omega picks you up, laughing lightheartedly, and helps you inside before climbing in himself.  
Inside is very dusty and the walls feel sticky, like an old old oil container. There's a driving mechanism, a lever and a wheel and a whole bunch of buttons. It seems the wheel is not actually for turning but instead for controlling speed - the further you turn the wheel the faster the train will go. The lever seems to be a brake and the buttons are most likely for lights and other miscellaneous functions.  
In the back of the room is something much more... disturbing, in a way. Behind a wall of strong bars is a moving white organ, moving rhythmically with a silent yet deep beat. It doesn't look like a heart, but it sure is like one. Warmth from the exposed organic part is heating up the room to a very comfortable temperature. The only source of light in the room, besides your own lights, is the white ecto organs. 

For a moment Yarnus thinks about reaching out to touch the white ecto wall, but thinks better of it. Pulling his hand back he speaks up. “Hey Masheenka, can we go back to the shed and pick up our gear?” Her only response is to start going backwards towards the roundabout. Omega hops out and gathers their supplies and the rail map before settling back in the locomotive. The doors close and Yarnus makes his way up to an open window. With a loud whistle and a puff of steam Masheenka pulls out and heads out in the direction of Violets Lab. The rhythmic chugging coaxes Yarnus into sharing a song he’s familiar with although some of the lyrics sound made up but he belts out the last line about ‘winning first prize’ before having a fit of giggles. 

Masheenka seems to be almost afraid to go too fast at first, but once your singing is joined by Omega, despite him not knowing the words, she seems to get a little more sure and bold, speeding off into the depths of the tunnels, her reflectors breaking the darkness like a boat breaks the water surface. You and Omega each leaning out of one window and singing nonsense on the top of your nonexistent lungs into the rhythm of Masheenkas mechanical gallop, her cheery loud whistle accompanying your voices, all of it is like a tiny bit of homely and joyous paradise speeding through the cold dark depths of the Void. For that half an hour or so you feel like nothing bad could ever happen to the three of you ever again.  
You feel almost sad as Masheenka begins to slow down, her brakes screetching until she comes to a halt. A turn to a tunnel is before you, "Violet Laboratories" barely legible on the old rusty sign. It seems the track does go on, but there's an old old wooden stopper over the rails, simply stating "DO NOT CROSS". There's no explanation why.  
Masheenka stands there, motionless. For a while you're all quiet, then Omega speaks up. "what's the matter? you can totally break through that, it's just old wood. i bet i'd fall into splinters is you just breath too hard on it, heh." The locomotive doesn't respond.  
Omega turns to you through the cabin, looking worried. "maybe she's too afraid to go somewhere she hasn't been before... i mean, she was made to go by the train rules hasn't she?" He leans out of the window again and pats the train as far as he can reach towards the front. "come on girl, ya can go on ahead, ya can't get in any trouble when everybody's gone already."  
Silence. Slowly, Masheenka begins to recede, puffing out steam. Omega sighs, turning to you as she does. "i guess she just ain't---"  
Suddenly the train rapidly speeds forward, both of you getting thrown back and falling to the ground. Masheenka crashes through the do not cross stand and whistles victoriously, speeding on into the unknown, screaming excitedly. At first you're both too flabbergasted to do anything, but once Omega gets up he starts cheering loudly.  
You speed on, eventually slowing down to a reasonable pace, until just minutes after the rough black stone around you turns into white dirty tiles. It seems you've arrived.  
You arrive at a partially unfinished trainstop, Masheenkas front bumpers gently nudging into the train bumper stoppers. Her door open and you walk out into the huge room, the floor only halfway tiled. In the cement are footprints of something huge and crooked, Violets kids amalgam perhaps. For a while you wait, then the strong white light on the ceiling comes on and the door opens, none other than Violet themself standing in them, surprised to see you back so early. 

As soon as Violet steps through the doorway Yarnus is apologizing profusely. “Sorry… we got lost… then we found Masheenka… and the tracks came here… and we told her to break through the sign. Please don’t be mad.” If a skeletal monster could have puppy dog eyes, that would be Yarnus at this moment. Omega of course has to translate the stream that just came from the smaller skeleton. While the two discuss the events from the last two days, Yarnus dusts himself off and looks back at Masheenka. “Maybe we could clean her up, make some repairs, maybe even some upgrades. She deserves it.” He lays a hand on her comfortingly. 


	20. Back on Track

Violet seems surprised to see you, but even more surprised to see the living train. While Omega is still explaining to them what happened and why you're here they come closer and begin inspecting Masheenka curiously. They seem partially amazed but also a little worried. Their worry only escalates when Omega tells them about her suicidal thoughts and how nobody is taking care of her anymore. They sigh and lay a hand on the machine, mumbling a sad response.  
"they sayin they helped design her with that mellow guy," Omega translates, "and that... they didn't think it would actually work. they figured out how to create machine that would run on soulpower, but a locomotive would need way more juice than monsters can give. our lill' girl's gotta have a goddamn powerhouse of a soul. they afraid bout where all that power came from..." Both Omega and Violet go quiet for a while, Violet looking closely at the machine, then begins to talk again. "uh, they sayin that they only know the bare basics about her, but should be able to figure out more with some studies. but we'll need to clean her up first, she's as dirty as... uh, i dunno how to translate that."  
Led by the slim scientist you acquire hoses, buckets, soap and brushes and get to work while she's still calm. Masheenka puffs and whistles, but doesn't move from her spot. Either she knows this is necessary or trusts you enough to keep in place. Only after you clean a spot and see her actual original colour do you realize just how damn dirty she is. Oily white substance that smells like burnt bones leaks from underneath her, her face covered with dead insects, dust and debris. You can't imagine how awful it must be for her since she can't close her eyes, carefully cleaning them for her. Luckily she doesn't seem to have hers as sensitive as other monsters. Once her sight is clear again you notice her irises have a very light silver tint to them.  
Determined to help the machine you take on the tighter spots where only you can reach with your small posture while Omega takes on the biggest spots with one scrubber in each hand and Violet climbs up on the metal hood, their light body perfect for the highworks. You and Omega whistle the song you sang earlier so the work passes easier.  
While you and Omega take a moment to rest, Violet brings you a meal of packed sandwiches and hot chocolate. As they come inside with the basket, their many eyed amalgam of a child comes with them, obviously much calmer than the first time you met it. While you eat and chat, the amalgam closely inspects Masheenka, straining to coordinate its crooked body so that it doesn't cause any damage. After a while of measuring each other over Masheenka begins to puff and whistle softly while the amalgam clicks its many jaws and chatters quietly, as if they were having some kind of conversation. All three of you watch the two creatures interact until Masheenka gently moves forward and the amalgam gets startled, running off and hiding behind its father. Violet pats its face comfortingly while laughing.  
After a few hours of hard work she's all clean, although still in urgent need of maintenance. In the white light of the unfinished train stop her metal hood glistens and her eyes shine like stars. She really is one beautiful piece of machinery. It seems she used to have a blue coat of paint, which had chipped off already. Now she's all gray and silver and black, with her white magic shining through.  
Although clean, some of her parts are chipped or torn off and the leaks and other damages are still present. Violet does an inspection, then fastens a few bolts and changes a pipe or two.  
"they say this should take care of the worst of it for now. they'll need a lot more time to take care of the bigger things. if they figure out how she's assembled they could do some tweaks and upgrades, but it won't be done anytime soon. they got all the tools and materials, but are still just a single worker." When you offer to help, Omega shakes his head. "bud, it's one thing to help her clean up, but all this machining mumbo jumbo - we should leave that to violet, they know best."  
Violet is already bringing in tools and blueprints, none of which resemble anything you've ever seen. You can't even imagine what most of these doodads and thingamajigs do. For a moment you watch as Violet puts on a pair of mechanical glowing gloves and a mask that looks similar to the one Perlo wore. They squat before the trains face and get to work while Omega puts a hand on your shoulder.  
"we'll come back here to check on her soon - and see all the cool upgrades violet's made! what ya say lill' buddy, should we get... back on track? heheheh, sorry, couldn't resist - srsly tho, we can go now or spend the night here n go tomorrow. either is fine by me." 

While Masheenka was all spick and span, Yarnus and Omega were less than clean themselves. "Well since we're here we might as well rest up and clean up. That way we can give Masheenka a proper farewell in the morning before heading to the hub." Turning to poke at Omegas parka, "Didn't you pick up a cookbook? We should cook for Violet tonight to show our appreciation." 

Omega nods with one of his cheery grins, his huge white canines brought out of his dirty face. Giving Masheenka a loving pat on the cheek to assure her you'll be back you both speed off to the beautifully decorated guestrooms. You can see in Omegas face he's excited to be back in this comfortable clean place, and you can't but agree.  
There's still plenty of time before evening comes, or at least that's what the clock says. You really don't know how one would keep up with time here, not just underground, but in the Void, too. You wonder if this realm has any kind of universal time or if Violet just goes by their own clock.  
Omega empties his pockets on the bed as he's undressing, making up a song about 'going to the best tub ever to get the best scrub ever'. He doesn't carry much, a spoon, a folded sheet, the cookbook and... a picture frame? The frame piques your curiosity - inside is a picture of Omega with some small pouty looking fella in a labcoat taken by Omega.  
While you're still staring at it, Omega has already turned the taps and sings excitedly in the bathroom. 

Honestly Yarnus just wants to stay the night since just dropping Masheenka in Violets lap and leaving seems a bit rude towards both of them. It would be nice to stay long enough for Masheenka to take them to the town close to the hub, but once all the damage to her metal body was seen he couldn't ask her to strain herself for their benefit. Though the chance for a good bath and a fluffy bed also played a part.  
Eyeing the photo Yarnus couldn't help but compare the lab coat clad skeleton to the previous usurper of Violet Labs. Omega had mentioned he was a copy of his ‘brother’ and there were failed copies as well. "Hey Omega! Who's this in your picture? He kinda looks like Perlo, but you know, with eyes?" 

Omega lifts his head up at the question, already in the tub, his dirty parka in his hands. Seems like he's decided to wash not just himself but his clothes, too. "what picture? oooh, you mean my photo! that's my lill bud marcus - n he'd give ya a piece of his mind if he knew who you compared him to, heheh. he'd probably give you a piece of his mind for anythin, really, he's a feisty lill guy. i love him so much." He leans back into the tub, scrubbing the dirty clothes over his ribs like a scrubbing board. "hey gimme yer clothes, i'll wash it for ya. i ain't great at cookin or keepin my room clean, but washing the clothes is the one house chore i'm actually good at!" he grins widely, outstretching his huge hand towards you.  
Seeing that Omegas own clothes is in a pretty good shape you figure he shouldn't do any damage to your prized kilt. 

Yarnus removes the fabric from around his waist and hands it over to be washed before sitting on the edge of the tub with his legs dangling in. "Well when we meet him, we don't have to tell him about that. He didn't look like a ‘Zazzlepants’ to me." He watches Omega scrub away at their clothes. "Actually I'd never met another skeleton before I came here. I'm looking forward to meeting all your friends once we're out of here." Yarnus slips into the water, still holding on to the side. "I hope they like me. None of Adel’s friends did." He looks a little sad remembering his old home but it passes as he begins to wash himself. 

Omega stops scrubbing for a second, looking at you sympathetically but also surprised. "what, you? nobody liked you? what the hell???" He pulls another piece he's done scrubbing out and gently lays it on the floor to take care of later. "why not? yer a great guy, just n brave n a damn loyal friend, like what the hell??" He seems a little angry as he scrubs his underpants roughly, but gets back to being careful when handling your kilt. "that's so unfair..." he mumbles still a little mad. 

"Heh" he laughed a little. "Adel had a ‘thing’ for humans. She'd always invite me along on our days off just to get me out and about." Yarnus sighs looking at the royal colors in Omegas hands. "I think they were just afraid of me. I was The Great Justiciar after all." He made small waves in the water. "I liked the older humans, less afraid, more honest...and fishing! They loved to tell stories while casting lines and I was more than willing to hear the stories they'd probably told a thousand times." Happy memories made for a much better atmosphere while the two skeletons cleaned up. 

Omega grins widely when you recall your pleasant memories. He scrubs the last piece, his socks, and lays them next to the other clothes. "well i'm glad ya weren't completely alone. i know how that feels... but still, there's one more thing i've been meanin to ask ya," he says as he slowly shimmies in the giant tub closer to you, then puts his arm around you for comfort. "ya said ya never saw another skelle outside the void?? like, you were the only boneman in yer homeland? that's so strange... ya know, us skeletons here in the void, we mostly come in a duo pack, heh," he grins, then gets a little sadder, but quickly shakes it off. "don't ya have any skeletal family members or somethin?" 

"Adel and I were fostered to a large mixed family. Probably about fifteen of us from all over." Yarnus notices an odd expression cross Omegas face. "Fostering is common where I come from. The Weaver family lost a lot of members one bad winter, so other families sent children to learn their skills. We had a good childhood." The smile across his face was absolutely genuine. "The problem was when we got older and ready to leave on our own. Adel went to her family home, but no one could remember my family and I was fostered too young to remember myself." He paused for a moment before looking over at Omega who was staring at him. It was like the big guy was just waiting for the rest of the story.  
"Long story short, no one knew of other skeletons, not even the King. But my powers are rare so he took me in and trained me to be a Justiciar. 

Omega seems very surprised to hear all of this. He wonders for a while, twiddling his toes in the warm water, then asks you if you know a bunch of names, none of which ring a bell. The big skeleton shakes his head in disbelief and chuckles lightly. "ya know, all of us skeletons in the void, we're usually the same version of two guys over and over. sometimes there's deviations in our worlds or in ourselves but... damn. you're probably the furthest from the 'norm' skelle i've ever met! all of this sounds so strange and new to me, i would never have guessed any of it!" He holds you closer for a moment, then lifts you up and puts you between his legs, your back to his belly. He starts scrubbing you absentmindedly as he wonders about what you've told him. "all this time i thought you were a sans like me... but maybe you're actually a papyrus? you have that need for order and righteousness." He scratches your back comfortably, then comes down to rub your belly. "maybe you're both? who knows..." 

With Omegas hand on his stomach to steady himself Yarnus leans forward to clean between his toes. "The only Papyrus I know of is a type of paper. So far I haven’t recognized any of the names you’re familiar with. Though I’m not sure what my birth name was. I took the name Yarnus when I left the Weavers." He relaxes leaning back against Omegas warm belly in the cooling water. "If you think you're confused...all of everything is confusing to me. The void, other worlds, other skeletons, all of it. Although…" He looks up to the larger skeleton, "... I kinda like it. Sure, I miss my home, and the void is kinda dangerous, but it's exciting and I made new friends and there's new places to explore." His face breaks into a smile, "It's nice to be able to help people." 

Omega smiles curiously as he wonders what Yarnus’ childhood name was. When you talk about how you ended up liking the Void despite the odds, he looks down at you grinning widely, slipping both arms around you tighter to hug you closer.  
"well ain'chya just the sweetest lill thing," he says softly, "n i agree! helpin the void folk it's where it's at!" He gets up with you in his arms, raising you up from the no longer warm water and walking to get a towel for the both of you. "it's why i left the safety of the sansuary - i can't just sit at home n eat cheetos, knowin that out here in the void people like you are stuck n desperately need some help ey?" he says as he sets you back down on one of the towels. He rinses his own bones off as he speaks. "n i guess it's kinda silly, cuz there's just so many folk in need ya know... n some of them i got no way of helpin," he sighs a little, but quickly smiles again "but that won't stop me from doin my best."  
He ends his speech by walkin out the door and jumping into the bed, the impact of his body into the pillows shaking the entire room. He laughs joyfully, then sighs blissfully as he sinks into the sheets. 

Yarnus squeezes out as much water from his kilt and rolls it up in a towel before wrapping another around his waist. "You’ve mentioned this Sansuary before. I thought they were a group working to help people in the void." He follows Omega and watches as he plops onto the bed. "Didn’t you say you were looking for someone that sent out some sort of distress signal? I assumed the Sansuary had sent you, like that’s something common they do. Sending people like you to find them, though you found me instead and I certainly didn’t send out a signal." Yarnus put his hands on the side of the bed and leans in to look directly at Omega, waiting for an explanation as to what the Sansuary is all about. 

Omega opens his eyes and suddenly grabs for you, playfully throwing you down and rolling over on top of you. Your body is now trapped under his chest, but he makes sure not to lay too much weight on you, supporting his chin with his hands, his elbows on the bed by the sides of your skull.  
"well, yeah, kinda... it's more like, a bunch of folk doin their best, really..." He puts one hand down, then curls it up around your skull and pets you softly while talking. "we got a bunch of really smart science peeps that are doin all the research n then some guys who go out there when needed n, well, kinda just do their best. like answer sos calls or come in to build new hubs n stuff. i'm one of those. i don't got the smarts or anythin, but i'm strong n big n know bout the void... really i'm not even like required to do this, but i wanna. as i said, i can't sleep in the safety of that place, knowin there people stuck in terrible situations here..." He grins down at you, his eyes half lidded as he leans down and gives you a little smooch. "n it's a great place to meet guys, heheh." 

Yarnus wasn't expecting to be grabbed and pinned down. Thankfully the soft bed cushioned his position under the larger skeleton. As Omega explained a bit of what the Sansuary does, his mind couldn't but think about pairing up with Omega or even others and having Masheenka tote them around where she could while rescuing people in the void. He was unfocused when he received the kiss.  
"O-omega?" He was answered with a slight smirk added to the half lidded expression above him. "Shouldn't we be resting before we head out? I mean…" His skull flushes with the memory of the last encounter in this bed. "We were here just the other day." 

Omega chuckles, smiling widely, delighted at you cute response. "heyyy, no worries! i wasn't in for any action either tbh, i'm one tired guy!" He rolls over, getting you on top of him, holding you in his arms as he pulls a blanket over the both of you. "we can still cuddle tho, right?" he winks at you, then chuckles again. You just smile in response and set down on the soft blue flesh, drifting off to sleep soon after.  
You have a strange dream involving an obnoxiously loud lanky figure of a black haired monster with striped clothes. You wake up, glad to be back with your big friend instead of whatever the hell that was. After a bit of layin around comfortably Omega wakes up too, looking up at you and wishing you a good morning. He pets you, both of you warm and comfortable in the soft bed.  
"man, i'm thinkin of just... marrying this bed. do you think violet would approve? heheheh." He rolls on his side, setting you down on the bed before getting up. Your clothes are now much cleaner and dry, Omega begins to put his on while handing you your kilt. You're saddened to see a few stitches have snapped, but it's not too bad, at least for now.  
After you get up and leave the room, you find that the dining room has been set with a delicious breakfast for both of you. The food served are very thin pancakes and coffee, served with a few kind of jam for you to choose from. The only one you recognize is cranberry jam, the rest is made out of fruits you've never even heard before. Despite that, they're all quite delicious. Omega eats excitedly while trying to explain what each of those fruits look like and what else they're good for.  
Once you've cleaned the table, you're all set for the day. Omega puts his stuff back into his pockets and you restock on your food supplies before heading out and down to where Violet is still working on Masheenka.  
You're greatly surprised when you find the small white tiled room from yesterday broken and expanded, including new tracks. Violet seems to have literally any kind of tools necessary, even for building an entire new tool shop overnight. Masheenka sits atop a sort of pedestal, made so that Violet can reach her from the bottom. She seem in a much better shape than yesterday! A little charred from the work made on her, but her chipped metal plating and dented front hood have been fixed or replaced. Once you approach, you're even more surprised to hear a sound you haven't heard her make before. Where she used to have her whistle, there's now a whole array of seven pipes, each creating a different pitch with the use of her steam. When you come to her line of sight she fixes her eyes at you and begins to whistle excitedly with everything she has, as if showing off to you, her yelling a jumbled mess of tones. You'll have to work on her music ear later.  
Violet raises their head from behind the train when he hears Masheenka yell, smiling widely when they see you. They come closer, pulling off their gloves and quickly talking about everything that they had added. Omega does his best to translate, but Violet's excitement mixed with many very technical words make it so he's barely keeping up. You wouldn't understand all that mumbo jumbo anyway. You're just glad everything is working out so far.  
As they talk, you notice something even more amazing than her new whistles - she now has eyelids. They're very simple, only allowing up and down movement, so her mimicry is still pretty much none. But just seeing her blink repeatedly, obviously so excited to finally be able to close her eyes, you can't help but feel so excited. 

"Masheenka! You look marvelous!" Yarnus finds a nearby crate to boost himself up while she lets out a series of whistles. "I'm so glad Violet is able to help you. At this rate you might get to the hub before we do." He rubs his hands along her front bumper, it's as far up as he can reach since she's elevated. "Omega and I are going to go to the nearest hub and contact his friends. Then we'll be able to help people all around the void." His irises form like star like rays, but without the intensity that his power uses. "You could even help if you want. I think the hub should be near the town you were made in."  
Yarnus jumps down and heads to Omega to make sure of what their plans are. 

Before you get down to business, Omega tells Violet how delighted you both are about the new features of the living train and how they've done such a good job. Violet is glad to be able to help, but also has some rather bad news for you. All of these features were kind of already ready to be added, just weren't implemented for whatever reason. They're afraid that adding in anything that she isn't 'programed' for could be like giving a fish legs - she would not know how to use them. For that he'll have to work around and backwards engineer some of her aspects, which will take a very long time. They're, however, positive that they can do it.  
They then explain that they did some tests on not just her physical state, but her psyche as well. They tried talking to her to see what words she'll react to, but sadly she doesn't seem to understand their language. They'll have to work around that somehow. In any case, through map reading and a lot of patience they explained to her about your travel, so you'll be able to hitch a ride with her to a city near the Grasslands, from which it'll only be a little walk through the tunnels to finally reach that place. You'll just have to tell her to get back into the lab once you've arrived there.  
Even before Omega finishes translating, Masheenka seems to be picking up on a few words, whistling and opening her door before she's even lowered down from the piedestal. You notice the metal bars that used to separate her inside from her insides are gone, the edges polished and padded with foam for her own comfort. 

A wide grin nearly splits Yarnus' head in two, "Sweet! Masheenka can come with us and we don't have to walk the whole way there." She excitedly practices an 'all aboard' tune. "I think she can understand us well enough, perhaps your sons could help translate for you. They seem to know some words of ours, not sure how well." Yarnus' excitement fades for a bit while he talks to Violet about a more serious matter. "Violet... I wasn't the one that got rid of Perlo. There was another skeleton working with me, Tzaclkratz the Horrible, he calls himself. He can be violent, but he's just..." He doesn't want to expose the fear he felt from Tzacl and also a little afraid he may be lurking in some shadow. "Perlo did something to him, or took something from him. I'm not sure either or both. He might still be searching your labs." After Omega translates he adds, "Just be careful around him." 

Violet thanks you for the warning, although they haven't seen any other skeleton in the labs, on their camera feed or otherwise. They promise to be careful if they happen to meet the grumpy skeleton while turning Masheenka around and setting her down on the rails again. She seems very excited, driving close to you and Omega and closing and opening her door again as if trying to make you hurry up. Laughing Omega helps you inside then jumps on himself while the train whistles excitedly. You both wave out the window at Violet as you ride off into the darkness of the tunnels.  
Masheenka screams loudly and her reflectors blink into the darkness as you make your way back. It seems Violet had done more than just changed a few metal plates, because the shiny train now also rides a whole lot faster! Both you and Omega sing excitedly as you ride, each looking out the window at one side of the train.  
At one point Masheenka stops for no apparent reason. She stays quiet while you and Omega try to figure out what the matter is, but just as abruptly as she stopped she gets moving again, pretty damn fast. Both of you are knocked back a little by the sudden speed boost, you holding onto the edge of the window but Omega slips and tumbles down the little stairs and suddenly he's sitting on the other side of the cabin, leaning on the fleshy wall. He looks a little frozen while Masheenka makes a weird startled sound you've never heard her make before, a sort of mix between a whistle and a steam puff. Omega apologizes and quickly stumbles up, lifting his hands to his chest and getting back to the window. It's a little awkward, but soon forgotten as you speed on, past the town you've been in yesterday and into the unknown depths of the tunnel system.  
It's only a few minutes until you reach the final stop. The tunnel ends with a huge pile of rubble, kept secure by wooden beams. Seems like somebody has blocked the entrance, but a few boulders are no problem for somebody who's pal is a living train. Tying your trusty rope to her front grill and then having her pull at one boulder at a time you soon manage to open the passage, saving you the trip through the Dozenoids lair and having to deal with the metal doors under the snow globe.  
The light from outside shines in, looking... so beautiful. You and Omega slowly approach the exit, grassy plains and blue skies ahead of you, While Masheenka comes as far as the tracks allow her to. For a while all three of you just stare out there. It feels like a miracle.  
Then Omega turns around and approaches the train. With a big lovely smile he comes near, then wraps his arms around the trains face. She lets out a drawn out puff of steam, closing her eyes. 

Yarnus gets Omegas attention and is lifted up to join in on the hug. "Thanks for bringing us this far. We'll have to walk from here but we'll be ok." He pulls back from he face and gives it a reassuring pat. "Go back to Violets lab and they'll work on getting you in tip-top shape."  
As Masheenka slowly recedes into the darkness he leans into Omega. "I'm going to miss her, but at least I think she's going to be fine." Looking around from his new perspective he chuckles. "I thought the directions sounded awful familiar. Isn't this the place we saw when we first met?" He nervously drums his fingers on Omegas bones. "Didn't you say large places had bigger monsters? Maybe I should stay on look out. Someone blocked the way for a reason. We should be careful." 

Omega lifts you up on his shoulders, nodding. "definitely, but i think we'll be fine as long as we stick together ey?" he gives you a smile. Then he turns around, looking out there. Taking a deep breath he walks outside into the light of the outside. 


	21. *yarnus arrives into grasslands

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a heads up. I may be posting a lot of chapters soon. There's a couple of key scenes I want to publish this week.  
> Also a bit of fireside NSFW is marked as usual.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NSFW tags: ecto-pussy

It's... bizarre. These past few days in the caves were so claustrophobic and tight and suddenly you're in the most open space you've ever been. Enormous open plains of grass and forests spread before you as far as the eyes can see. You're left staring with your mouth open, the whole place bathing in the light of the sun, birds chirping, the warm wind blowing gently about... how amazing.  
Omega also seems speechless, a huge grin spread over his face. "i completely forgot how amazing the open space is," he says in almost a whisper. With you on his shoulders he walks on down the slight hill, slowly, just trying to enjoy the place.  
After the amazement sets down, you realize... you have no idea where to go. Looking behind you a huge rock wall goes from horizon to horizon, cutting the open plains short like the edge of a pool table. The tunnel you came in through is the only thing on the rock wall for miles and miles, as far as you can see. 

"There should be some trace of roads or tracks somewhere. Masheenka used to haul lumber from here I thought. Why would they have pulled up all the tracks?" Yarnus scratches his skull before a thought crosses his mind. "Hey, put me down. I used to go on hunting trips with the King, I might could pick up on the tracks of someone, or at least find traces of the old tracks." 

Omega sets you down carefully and you kneel on the ground to see better. For a moment you're distracted, the warm grass feeling heavenly under your hands. You smile to yourself. How lovely this place is.  
After a while of looking around you finally find spots where the ground is a little uneven. Must be from when they were digging the rails up, most likely. In any way it's a good track for you to follow.  
Omega applauds you for your observant eyes, then both of you step out on your way. Both of you are quiet, you just now realizing something is a little odd about this place, but you aren't able to put your finger on why... while Omega seems deep in thought, looking to the ground as he walks, his hands in his pockets. It seems the track is leading into a patch of forest on the horizon, pretty far away, it might take you the whole day just to-  
Oh, that's it! There's no Sun!!! Although there's light and everything casts its shadow, there's no obvious source of it! It's just coming straight from up above, everything around you having its shadow right under it. How bizarre! 

Back on the island the sun wasn't visible, but it still traveled the sky. To Yarnus it felt like mid-day, almost as if the light was energizing him, or at least tricking his mind into thinking he should be wide awake and active. But after a good long time walking he did notice the unchanging shadows. "Omega... how long have we been walking? I can't tell from the shadows like I normally would. It's like this place is stuck on noon." He looks up to see Omegas face that looks slightly distracted. "Is something wrong? Normally you're singing some song or the other when we walk." He reaches out to offer his hand, "You're from a cold place that doesn't get much sun. If the light is bothering you, you can take my hand and close your eyes for a while." 

Omega stutters, his attention snapping to you. "w-wha-? oh, no worries!" he grins, "it's real nice of ya to offer though. i'm alright just... thinkin ya know..." He turns back forward, but takes your hand anyway. Since he doesn't continue, you ask what he's thinking about, and Omega shifts his eyes away. "ah, well..." he takes a moment, your worry turns to even more curiosity when you see his cheeks go blue slightly. "it's kinda dumb but... do you think..." He looks at you, scratching the back of his skull and smiling shyly, "and don't take this the wrong way, this is like, totally hypothetical! but... i wonder if trains can feel, like, uh... s-sensual pleasure? y-you know?" He chuckles weakly. "like if there's any way for her to... you know what nevermind!" He covers up his face, getting even more shy and flustered. "niceweatherwearehavinhuh?" 

Yarnus hadn't expected that to come out of Omega's mouth. The big guy hadn't shown that much nervousness when it came to their own encounters. Yarnus' own skull began to glow yellow as he thought back to the time he scanned her soul. "Well...uh...I know she can feel emotions and sorta like she was trapped within the metal. A-and now those bars are removed..." His eyes go wide and his jaw drops, "Did she...when you.." Now Yarnus is stumbling over his own words. "Did she do that on purpose or by accident?" His face flushes with the thought that she might have known exactly what she was doing. 

Omega turns to you, peeking through his fingers and mumbling in embarrassment. "mmm-maybe she did?? i don't know! i-i mean i guess i she did then i'd... AAAH, WHY ARE TALKING ABOUT THIS!?" he yells while laughing shyly, "she's a train for crying out loud! oh my stars i did NOT think i'd ever think of banging a locomotive!" He laughs loudly, his face all blue. "this day is already starting all weird!"  
It's silent for a second, only Omegas voiceless embarrassed laughter and the crunching of the leaves under your feet sounding into the greenwood. After a little while Omega, his wide half shy half amused smile still present on his face, turns to you and his cheeks go even more blue. "well... w-what do you think about that?? i mean- w-would you...?" he giggles like a giddy schoolgirl. 

Perhaps Omega was caught up in his own thoughts that he didn't notice Yarnus was nearly as flustered as himself, only the smaller skeleton had years of experience suppressing carnal urges. Ever since he had used his power on her, he had similar thoughts cross his mind. It wasn't uncommon for him to attach to someone briefly after seeing what was in their soul. A small trace of jealousness crept into his emotions. With a little grin he looked up to Omega, "When I look into someone's soul... it is a bit intimate. So I sorta already did." His head nearly exploded in yellow at his admission. "But I just felt what she was feeling at the time... and...and... I don't share my feelings when I do that, but I guess it's about like how some monsters bond..." He looks away embarrassed. "She is a person, just different, like how monsters and humans are different." 

Omegas chuckling just grows until he's laughing out loud, grabbing your hand tighter to swing you towards himself and lift you up. "HAHA! i knew it! i knew you like her!" He swings you around laughing. You aren't sure why he finds it this funny, but you know he means well, chuckling along.  
Suddenly everything dims. Both of you get quiet, a little startled, as everything around you gets dark in the span of a few seconds, like if someone just covered up a lightbulb with their palm. Suddenly it's dark, very dark, with no moon in sight. Both of you stand there, looking around cautiously, till Omega carefully stets you down.  
"huh... i guess it's nighttime now. time sure flies huh? hehe..."  
The tracks were already barely visible in the daylight and even when you shine your eyes around you can't seem to find your way. Omega watches you as you search around, then chuckles again.  
"what's the matter, can't get back on track? i though your eyes were trained for searching stuff like that," his chuckling gets louder, "maybe you aren't train' hard enough. or maybe, you're just tricking me so we don't have to go on, but why? what is your loco-motive?? PFFFF- HAHAHAHA!" 

The sudden barrage of train related puns stirs up something within Yarnus, "AAUGH! OMEGA! DO YOU HAVE TO DE-RAIL OUR DILEMMA WITH A LAUGH TRACK ?" He doubles over laughing at his own joke. "But actually it's pretty dark here and I'm sure we can find our way easier when the sun is... on?" Up wouldn't make much sense. "Besides, all this so called sunlight has me a bit hungry for my home cooking." 

Omega doesn't answer. He can't answer. He's laughing too hard.  
While you big friend is wheezing for breath, rolling on the ground, you look around for a spot where you could make a fire. It's not too hard to find some fuel, there's leaves and wood all around you. Gathering up some you sort of still can't believe this place is real, and has real trees and grass and such, your fingers brushing every single branch you find to feel it as much as you can. It's amazing.  
Omega finally stops laughing when your fire is already lit, approaching you while still wheezing, really more of crawling closer than walking. He lays next to the fire and tries to catch his breath while you pick out a food can, setting it over the fire to warm it up. Your food is ready in just a while, both of you sitting in the comfortable soft grass, enjoying the gentle wind blowing about. Sadly, the sky in this strange realm doesn't have any stars. Only endless darkness as far as the eyes can see.  
You eat, staring into the flickering fire, until Omega puts the already empty can aside and moves closer towards you, putting an arm over you for cuddles. "i dunno bout you, but i ain't tired at all. we barely walked any real distance n we slept just a few hours ago at violet's place... maybe we could go on, i'm pretty good at making makeshift torches, heh." He leans in and gives you a little smooch on the top of your skull, "or we can stay here and, well, i'm sure we'll find somethin to pass the time with, heheh." He nuzzles you closer, "what do you think lill guy?" 

The light from the fire wouldn't even be needed to see from the glow on Yarnus' face. The conversation of the day had already stirred up ideas in his mind. He didn't answer quickly, instead slowly chewed his food in thought. "We don't know how long it will be dark for. It could just be for a couple of hours or a whole night." He finishes his meal and snuggles up to Omega. "Have any ideas of how to pass the time? I'll have to warn you though... I'm not good at whistling ." 

Omega grins and chuckles, helping you up into his lap. He leans down and gives you another kiss, then another, his hands running up your side to hold your chin and make you face him. "i dunno, i was thinkin we could cuddle n see where that takes us ey?" He leans in closer and clicks his teeth into yours.  
You make out briefly, keeping it calm and slow since there's nowhere to rush. Omega runs his hands over you while you rub your teeth together, slowly building up the moment till his tongue gently licks the edges of your teeth, asking for more. You oblige, tangling yours with his, slowly, lovingly. For a while you just sit there by the fire, close and safe in eachothers arms.  
You aren't really sure where this is going but don't care too much until Omega pulls away, a little out of breath with his cheekbones already turned blue. He looks down at you with the same half lidded gentle eyes, smiling, running his huge meaty tongue over the edge of his teeth. You ask what he's thinking of doing, and he hums in thought.  
"well, i do have some ideas..." he says, raising a brow. 

[NSFW START] 

He shifts you a bit lower until your crotches are on the same level, making you gasp when he starts to rock you back and forth gently, the contact feeling warm and soft and very comfortable. His magic remains unformed, just heating both of you up, till he stops, reaching into his pocket. He pulls out the folded sheet and lays it over the ground, laying you on top of it shortly after. He looms over you, looking down at you with that calm self confident look, reaching his hands over your femurs up under your kilt before pulling it up to see what he's got to work with. 

The hard ground would be too unforgiving to handle the rough handling he experienced back in Violets lab so an ecto-vag would be out of the question. As Omegas hand drift up his femurs his member forms, lifting the fabric on its own accord. Yarnus hums happily and runs his hands over Omegas. 

Omega chuckles deeply, running a finger over your member up to the tip and running his finger around it playfully. His eyes shift up to look at you while he does, smiling widely, carefully running his finger around the edge of your pulled back foreskin. Your breathing is already getting hard by the time he leans down and runs the tip of his wet tongue over the bottom of your shaft lightly, leaving a tingling sensation over the length. You gasp for air a little, your hand instinctively clinging onto his skull, trying to drive him closer. He obliges, pulling his tongue out again and lapping at you, harder this time.  
He takes his time to build you up, licking and rubbing around playfully, then rolls his tongue around your dick and his jaws open, almost your entire pelvis fitting between his teeth. Deep in his mouth you can feel him summon another tongue, helping himself to form the least bit of suction, fondling and caressing you in his hot wet mouth and groaning in comfort. Each deep growl sends a shiver up your spine. Damn does this feel good.  
Suddenly, before you can finish, he pulls back. You open your eyes, looking up at him as he stares down at you with the calm half lidded look, raising a brow and licking his teeth off the saliva and precum. He reaches down to pull his pants lower, then he shuffles closer on his knees, pulling your legs under him and soon he's sitting on your lap, careful not to shift too much weight on you. The mass of his unformed magic hangs around his pubis until he reaches down and runs his fingers through it to help it form into the biggest fucking vagina you've ever seen. He chuckles at your surprised look, suddenly bucking forward, the wet lips pushing into your dick until it gently slips between them, surrounding it in heavenly soft warmth. The size difference is almost comical.  
"hows that? comfy?" he asks in a hushed voice his hips bucking very subtly just to keep you both warmed up. 

Yarnus reaches out to caress Omegas giant clit with one hand while the other hand runs across his belly. His thumb is nearly the size of the clit he is rubbing in gentle circles. All the while his pelvis is grinding up as far as possible beneath the large skeleton. "Heh, this is good." His fingers give a slight pinch to the clit as he bucks up. "Are you enjoying this?" 

Omega huffs, closing his eyes and falling forward, his hands landing on the ground by your sides. "oh hell yeah i do," he says, giving you a breathy chuckle, "please keep that hand there it's great." You do as he asks, gently fondling the sensitive piece while he starts to ride you, gently moving his hips back and forth.  
Pretty much your entire pelvis is surrounded by the warm wetness, your erect magic getting rubbed back and forth between the lips. He's keepin it slow, not exactly 'orgasmic', just sensual. you can feel your bones getting soaked, a little worried if you'll be able to wash sometime soon, but not worried enough to actually do anything right now.  
This goes on for quite a while, both of you just enjoying the close contact without really getting crazy about it. Omega huffs the more you play around with his clit, holding onto it and running your thumb around or very carefully squeezing your hand around it from base to tip, over and over. Thanks to its size you have no problem staying focused on the good spots, making Omega more and more heated.  
A small whimper escapes his teeth, his bits twitching slightly as he's about to get there. The movement around your dick is that last little spark, groaning as your hips shoot up into him. You squeeze onto his clit harder which makes the huge strong skeleton whimper in a high voice, biting down onto his hand as he comes. Then both of you just kinda stop. 

[NSFW END] 

Omega carefully removes himself from you, making sure he doesn't accidentally step or lay on you, rolling over and laying down on his back next to you. After you come back to your senses you grab at him to get him to lay on the sheet next to you instead of on the ground. He shifts closer, wrapping his arms around you, both of you silent, just smiling and breathing heavily. You don't really need to speak anyway, just holding onto one another, not really exhausted from the experience but feeling comfortable just lying there for now.  
It's still very dark, but surrounded by the big skeletons hug you feel absolutely safe. Omega gives you little smooches over your head and face, petting you softly while you hold onto him, nuzzling into his teeth. All is well once again. 

"I liked that little noise you made." Yarnus moved his mouth close to the side of Omegas skull. "Maybe some other day I can make you make more like that." He formed his tongue and ran it over Omegas teeth briefly before dissolving it again. "Maybe we should just have a little nap before going on? If it takes a while to find the hub we'll need to adjust to this places light cycle." 

Omega grins widely at the offer. "oh, i'm so taking you by the word," he chuckles, holding you closer. He nods as you speak on. "yeah, i agree, a lill nap can't hurt. i wonder how long the days are here, n if we'll meet anyone soon. i could hear birds, but i didn't see any, or any other animal for that matter, not even a grasshopper!" He chuckles nervously, "i'm kinda scared to find how just how fucked up this place is, heheh..." 

"Maybe it's not that bad. They did have business with that other town and the traders knew about this place." Snuggled up against Omega is didn't take long for Yarnus to nod off. The lack of light eased him into a slumber. 

The light comes on a few hours later, in the same sudden manner that it went out. You wake up from your nap, opening your eyes to look around... you find yourself in a different place than the one you fell asleep in!  
It's... sorta the same place. The space around your campfire and the track is still there, but the trees have moved and instead of a barely sloped hillside you're now in an almost mountainous landscape. You look around in confusion, then turn to Omega to see him sitting up, just as confused. He pulls his pants all the way up and stands up, dusting and folding the sheet.  
"huh... we didn't... i'm pretty sure this ain't the place we were at 'yesterday'," he quotes with his fingers, "where we at??" Looking down you see the track is still there, so the best course of action would probably be to follow it? You pack your things and get back on your way.  
Your surroundings are covered with steep hills and rocky cliffs, a huge river flowing down under you as you walk over the track. It's actually a lot easier to see it now, because it's the only way that keeps flat, although sometimes it coils around a river bend or a rocky hill.  
As you walk something flies into your eye socket, making your groan in discomfort and reach in with your finger to clean it out. At first you're just annoyed, but then you notice - it's a mayfly! Seems there are animals here after all! After this discovery you start noticing animal tracks and bird movement in the bushes all around you. Somehow it feels calming.  
The biggest surprise comes behind one of the bends by the river. You walk out on it, keeping your head down to see the track, then suddenly hear Omega shout "holy shit look!". Raising your head you fix your eyes to where he's pointing and your mouth hangs open.  
A wooden cottage with an animal pen and a water wheel is built by the river.  
Omega runs towards it excitedly and you almost stumble trying to keep up. The doors are open, but nobody is inside. A huge double bed, a table with four chairs, a wooden kitchen table with a huge cabinet and a stone furnace, all of it beautifully ornate in a very simple yet precise manner. A door by the kitchen leads into a small room with a huge millstone, most likely connected to the waterwheel. Several bags of flour sit in the corner of the room.  
From how clean and tidy the place is you can assume that whoever owns this place hasn't been gone for long. 

"I'm not sure what's with the crazy terrain, but at least it looks like fairly normal people live here." Yarnus moves about the cottage and then ushers Omega outside. "We should be civil and not trespass in their home." Adding a silly glare at the larger skeleton, "and no eating their cookies this time." Outside Yarnus directs Omega to look for the owner upstream while he travels downstream. As long as they stay near the river they should be able to find each other if they are thrown into darkness again.


	22. Horny Folk

Omega agrees and you both step out in different directions, assuring one another that you'll see each other soon.  
You walk by the river, noticing more and more signs of the local residents. The stepped out pathway, stones kicked over...  
In just about ten minutes you spot a boat on the river. Inside are two creatures, seemingly to be fishing, laying back in the boat with their rods at the ready. Slowly you approach, feeling a little scared. The creatures look sort of intimidating, even from this far away.  
As you approach you start to notice their looks more. They seem to be skeletons, but their shape is a little off. Their feet are long, like that of a cat or a deer or other quadrupedal animal, and horns crown their heads. One look more like ram horns while the other has them bent out and pointing back. It's only after you've stared for a while that you notice they also have two pairs of arms. They are wearing simple 'peasant' clothes, the ram horned one also wearing a badly made straw hat. They sort of remind you of someone...  
They haven't noticed you so far, enjoying their siestas, the end of their fishing lines tied to each ones toe. 

Despite their looks, Yarnus had never met a fisherman he didn't like. You had to have a good amount of patience to enjoy it as a pastime. While disturbing their nap might not be the best idea. Greeting them without the larger skeleton would startle them less. At least that was what he was hoping for when he called out just once to get their attention. 

Your voice echoes above the river, getting their attention. The creature with horns pointing back, who you now recognize it a lot taller than the other one, quickly turns around to face you, while the ram horned one with the straw hat just calmly opens his eyes to look. He kinda reminds you of Omega for being so calm.  
"Um, ahoj? Kdo jsi, cizinče?" the taller creature speaks. You can't understand a word, just shrugging and explaining you don't speak their language. "Oh, I apologize, I should've known you would most likely not! Who are you, traveler?" 

"Pardon my interruption" Yarnus moves to cross one arm across his chest. "I am Yarnus the Great Justiciar. My friend and I are in search of a hub we were directed to in this area. I'm afraid that neither of us are familiar with this area. Would you be so kind as to assist us?" He was very glad that these creatures seem to have a bit more manners than others he had met in the void. 

"Sure! You're welcome if you mean no harm." The taller creature grabs the paddle and moves the boat towards you. "Hop on in!"  
You explain that you promised your friend you'll wait for him at the cottage and don't want him to be worried.  
"dunn worry," the shorter one says, his voice incredibly deep, "the flow will be a-changin any minute now. we'll be back home before ya can say... cobbler?" He turns to the taller one with question in his eyes. "is that how they say it?"  
"I think so? Their language is quite different from our though."  
"whatevs..." the shorter one shrugs, then looks to you again, "so ya gettin in or what?"  
You now realize the main thing that unsettles you about them. They have no irises, you don't even feel any magic in them. It reminds you of Perlo, making you a little uncomfortable. 

Yarnus shakes the image of Perlo from his head. These people have eyes, and Yarnus doubted they were torturing other poor souls like that one did. "My friend and I just want to help people we meet. We're just kinda lost at the moment." Yarnus steps lightly into the boat hardly rocking it in the slightest and sits down next to the ram horned one. "You said the river changes directions? That's odd... at least to me. My friend went up stream. I hope he doesn't get turned around." Yarnus tries to keep his nervousness in check, but at the same time keeps an eye out for any sign of trouble. 

"nah, only the water stream changes," the ram horned skeleton says. Now that you're in the boat with them you notice yet another strangeness about them - they have long bony tails! The taller one also has a decorative little fringe on the tip of it.  
"You may call me Maiden" the taller one says, extending a hand towards you, "and this is my brother Snork. Are you a Void traveler? I suppose you're looking for the city of Zwezyr, or is it New Rotushko? Are you and your friend meaning to settle there with the others?"  
"that ain't too smart of ya, those people are fuckin crazy..."  
"Don't be so vulgar! They just have... different beliefs than us."  
"jeez maiden they ruined this goddamn place from top to bottom! we ain't avoidin them for nothin."  
As they talk, you notice the water slowly coming to a halt. Then, miraculously, it begins to flow the other way, just like they said. You find yourself staring into it, chuckling at the confused fish quickly turning around to swim the proper way again. Soon, Maiden unties the rope keeping the boat in place and you slowly begin to float back to the cottage with the stream, Snork using the tail of the boat to keep in centre of the stream.  
"I apologize for our arguments, but I do wish to know your purpose of being here. May you tell us?" Maiden asks again. 

"Zwezyr sounds familiar, but we're not looking to settle, just to use the hub. He has friends at a place they call Sansurary that he needs to contact." Yarnus catches himself staring at Maiden's tail and turns away embarrassed, "I'm not exactly a void traveler myself. I only woke up here..." he ticks off several phalanges before giving up. "...almost a week ago... I think?"  
Yarnus turns to Snork who seems to be watching the shore for signs of this 'friend' being spoke of. "What's wrong with the people of Zwezyr? Are they hostile? The people that directed us here... weren't the nicest." He grimaces just thinking of those slimy traders. 

"well, not exactly 'hostile' i guess..." Snork mumbles, "but if you want to be friends with them ya better believe in the same weird dumb stuff they do. they believe this world, like, the grasslands, that it was created for them by some guy, i dunno. it makes no sense, this place existed way before they even got into the void! our kind has lived here for centuries n when these guys showed up we'd trade with them n stuff. n then they just... moved in. outta the caves, right here. fuck us right? you don't believe in our bullshit beliefs? we take all yer shit n murder half of ya who dare to stand up to us!" He seems very angry about the topic, but then settles down to being calm again, pulling the straw hat into his face. "good luck tryin to get anything from them. ugh..." 

"Oh... that sounds..." There's an annoyed huff from beneath the straw hat. "That sounds like what happened to my people." While Snork might not want to pay attention, Maiden is curious so Yarnus recounts the tale of his island. By the end they are within sight of the cottage. Yarnus stands up and scans the area for signs of Omega. 

Both skeletal creatures actually seem very intrigued about your own story, listening to you with all their attention.  
When you reach the cottage you find Omega already sitting there by the animal pen, playing around with the six legged goat like creatures. When he sees you he smiles widely in his usual friendly manner, but you can see Maiden and Snork get startled by his appearance.  
"the hell's that cave dwellah' doin here? this is our turf!" It takes them both a moment to realize the implication of your previous talk and the appearance of the huge skeleton. They stare Omega up and down, then look at eachother, then at you.  
"Is... is that your friend?" You just nod. They look at each other again and, although unsure, begin to drag the boat out till you're ashore again.  
Omega approaches the natives with a friendly smile, already whipping up his arm. "eyy, ya made new friends lill' guy? hoo dis? my name's omega." Both creatures stay uncomfortable and silent at first, then hesitantly introduce themselves, but don't accept his handshake. Omega seems a little hurt by his friendliness falling on deaf skulls, but you can see he doesn't want to quit on these two just yet.  
"i'm pretty sure my lill bud already told ya all bout what we need right?"  
"That he has," Maiden says in a very formal voice, while Snork just looks at him with a sort of surly expression.  
"well i tried to go up to the bank but it ends in a stone creek that i couldn't fit into so, heh, i decided to go back... i really like your goats."  
A sort of awkward moment passes before the two natives look at one another. Their sort of hostile expressions turn into unsure ones, then they measure Omega over again. You don't even have to look with your magic eye to know that they're reconsidering their hostile approach since Omega is so nice and friendly. Maiden forcefully cracks a welcoming smile and bows slightly. "Yes, they're very useful and dear to us. Well... would you like to come inside? Our home is not very grand, but it can hold the four of us just fine. Snork, get the plumhelmet tea will you?" Snork still looks very hesitant, looking at his brother in a sort of pleading way. He measures Omega up and down again, then mumbles a simple "comin'..." before walking inside after his brother.  
Before you and Omega walk in, the big skeleton grabs your shoulder, squatting down to you to whisper.  
"hey, uh, did i- did i do somethin wrong? those two don't seem to like me too much..." 

Yarnus pats one of the large hands on him. "I think it's a case of mistaken identity. There's a feud between their kind and the ones that came from the caves." He sighs, "It's a bit like what happened to my island so I at least have a little common ground with them. They'll like you in due time I believe." Yarnus steps inside with Omega following. "Did you say plumhelmet tea? I've read about it somewhere but never tried any... or even heard of it before." Since the brothers seemed to automatically dislike Omega, Yarnus tried to stay the center of attention. 

The next few minutes are incredibly awkward, but the two horned skeletons seem to be decent enough fellow to give Omega a chance, and once they do and find out he's as harmless as a giant skeleton can be, they warm up to him slightly. You talk about what you've come thru, about Masheenka and Perlo and Tzaclkratz...  
"Oh, Tzaclkratz? The tall grumpy man? He went through here just a few days ago, actually," Maiden interrupts, pouring you more plumhelmet tea. It tastes sort of like something between a champignon and an apricot, not really all that bad.  
"he did? did he say anything about where he's goin or...?" Omega asks, decently eating a bread roll he was given.  
"nah, not really... he just stole my fish and called me a fool," Snork mumbles.  
"He talked to me just fine, actually, although he did use my kitchen without asking... he told me he is searching for somebody in Zwezyr. I'm afraid I didn't find out who, sadly. He was awfully busy cooking the fish," Maiden nods.  
"could you tell us how to get there?" Omega asks, finishing his snack. Maiden nods.  
"But of course, it's actually just by the river. If you just continue the way you went you should be there by the next Blackout. But be careful, Canimorphs roam the woods around the cities. They aren't evil creatures by nature, but they are very cautious about Cave Dwellers - they use their lifeforce for sacrifices and other occult malefice. How dreadful!" 

"Sacrifices?" The piece of roll he was eating fell out of his mouth. "Who did to what now?" 

"dem darn cave dwellers!" Snork growls, punching into the table lightly, "they found these big magnificent creatures of ancient magic and what do ya think they do? they grind them up like oat grains!"  
"We can't even begin to imagine what kind of purpose they can have for magic of this much potential!" Maiden joins in, "Canimorphs are known for having very plastic and easily manipulated magic - and a lot of it, too! They are very big creatures, as big as two Cave Dwellers stacked on top of one another. They used to be very friendly with our kind, only killing when hungry or in defence of their litters, but now? The poor things are so frightened from being hunted nearly to extinction that you're lucky to spot one in the wild - and survive to tell the tale."  
Snork shakes his head in disgust "we heard from other travelers that passed through that city that they use the magic to power some unholy machine of theirs. what kind of machine we have no idea. i don't think i even want to know..." 

The realization of what Masheenka was sinks in fast. Yarnus sinks his head down into his hands to hide the emotions crossing his face. Horror, disgust, sadness. Not necessarily in that order. "Tha-that's horrible." After a moment he regains some composure he stands to leave. "We should probably leave soon. I don't want to have to face one of those Canimorphs." He walks out mainly to get some fresh air. Not caring in Omega directly follows him or not. 

You storm out, your eyesockets getting damp already. You are barely keeping from breaking down in tears, leaning on a tree and clutching at your chest. Oh stars, oh stars, what a horrible horrible fate...  
You can hear the voices from inside, of Maiden and Snork asking what the matter is. Omega sighs deeply, then begins to explain. He talks about how you've seen into the very soul of the living train and how hard you've both worked for the poor machine. When he explains what both of you had just connected, his voice is shaking, barely keeping in the tears. You can't hold on anymore, remembering the despair you felt when you were her for a moment, your form shaking with sobs.  
Both horned skeletons stay silent to respect your grief. It's an awful few minutes of just crying, until Omega gets up and walks out the door after you. You turn to him, still shaking, and he looks at you with mournful eyes. You don't say a word, just huddling together and hugging tightly. Held by the huge skeleton you feel at least a little better, eventually calming down.  
"come on lill guy," Omega says, "shhhh, maybe we... maybe we could find a way to actually reverse it. maybe. lets go there and do our best..." 

Yarnus nods against Omegas stomach before pulling away. "I think it would be best to get going. We need to get there before nightfall... blackout." The bout of crying had drained him of all the energy he had from the other 'day'. Together the both of them started heading up stream, what had previously been down stream at first. 

As you leave, Maiden and Snork come to say their goodbyes, wishing you all the luck you can get on a journey like this. You thank them for their hospitality and step out on your way.  
Both of you go in a very somber and silent mood, but Omega eventually decides otherwise. He starts whistling, then grabs your hand and swings it back and forth.  
"heyyy, cheer up buddy. she's doing so much better now that she's with violet, they'll surely figure out how to make her as happy as she can be! have you seen how happy she was about her eyelids?? i'm sure by now violet has given her so much new stuff she's so overwhelmed she's whistling so loud that we might be able to hear it if we're real silent, heheh!" You raise your eyes to look at him, and seeing his big genuine smile you can't help but smile a little yourself. It's true, you've helped her out of her special hell and she really was so happy about her new stuff and her clean coat... what a lovely train she is. You smile, swinging your arm with Omega as you go on, joining his nonsense singing.  
You run along the river, through the forest and the meadows, sometimes stopping just to marvel at the open spaces or watch Omega skillfully skip stones over the small lakes around the river. On your way you spot many strange animals, they look sort of like the ones from your word but... always just slightly off. You see a heron with horse like teeth instead of a beak, frogs that grow hair and a deer with four pair of legs. Nevertheless, even if creepy, they're still just animals, and you can't help it but feel relieved to be in the wild nature...  
Suddenly you spot something black and shiny laying off in the tall grass. At first you think it's just a rock, but then you notice the red leather boot. It's Tzacl, laying there in the grass, motionless. You feel kind of guilty that the first thing that comes to your mind is that if he's unconscious, then his shawl is unprotected against peeking. 

"Tzacl? I thought they saw him days ago? Why is he only this far?" Yarnus thought about approaching him, but then thought better of it. He didn't like the idea of having to dodge a bone shard thrown at him. Thinking back to how Omega handled a skipping stone a thought crossed his mind. "Hey Omega... think you could hit his boot from here?" 

Omega grins confidently, "ya bet ur boney ass i can." He grabs a rock and carefully aims before throwing it. He misses completely. "...alright the sun was in my eyes let me try again." His next throw is a little more successful, hitting the black armour. It rings quite loudly, but there's no response from the snotty skeleton...  
No wait, he just moved. Kind of just tried to roll over, but only managed to shift aside a little. Is he asleep? "lemme try again," Omega says, throwing another one. This one's aim is even worse, landing right on Tzacls skull. Omega covers his mouth, gasping a little, "oh shit hope i didn't hurt him!" You expect Tzacl to storm up and attack, but there's only a little bit of movement, just like before.  
Now you are 100% sure something has happened to him.


	23. Zazzy’s Back, Alright!

Yarnus makes his way towards the prone skeleton, "Tzacl?..... Tzaclkratz?.....Zazzypants!" Even the weird nickname doesn't stir him. He kneels down next to him and starts to look him over for any sign of what is wrong with the fellow skeleton. 

You turn him over, feeling his magic surged up around his bones like static electricity. When you touch his bare bones it feel like you've just touched a nettle, quickly pulling your hand away and grabbing him by his armour instead.  
Rolling him over you find there's some kind of cuffs binding him. They're the flat kind of torture cuffs, two planks of wood clipped together with holes for both wrists. Except he only has one wrist in - the other hole is clasped around his neck.  
You can feel some awful form of magic in those cuffs, disrupting his own. He must be in a lot of pain, just from looking at his lit up eyesockets, his face contorted and twitchy. He's huffing with strain, trying to move, but his body being paralyzed with pain. 

What little he knew of Tzacl, he could guess at a multitude of reasons someone would want to shackle him. But this, this wasn't even torture. This was something beyond cruel. "Hold on, we'll get this contraption off you as soon as we can." He looked over to Omega, "I recognize the type of restraint, but not the magic part of it. Do you think we can remove it on our own?" Yarnus examines the cuffs to see if there was any loose parts that could easily be pried off. Something that could disable someone so fully probably didn't need much in the way of locks. "Omega, can you find my hammer in my sack for me. It might be useful." 

Tzacl begins to make a low growling noise which sounds somehow both angry and pitiful. His irises are shining so brightly you feel like he might blow a fuse any second now.  
Omega quickly reaches into your rucksack and pulls out the hammer, a little panicked. "will he be okay?!" he stutters as he hands it to you.  
Looking over the lock you find it to be one sturdy motherfucker. Maybe beating at the hinge would work better. Omega grabs Tzacl by the armour as secure as he can while you carefully aim, the spot you want to hit pretty darn close to Tzacls face. He doesn't seem happy about it at all, the growling noise getting more angry and even scared. "hold still we're trying to help!" Omega says as he grips him harder. You pull the hammer back, focusing on the hinge. Here goes nothing!  
You smash into it, the metal ringing loudly as some of it breaks apart. Suddenly the contraption surges up even more, burning your hand, and Tzacl screams, his whole body contorting. Oh no what have you done!? You panic, the pain and surprise and the terrible thing you've caused making you just stumble back, panicstruck. Tzacl convulses on the ground, the throaty sound now a loud helpless groan.  
Before you can come back to your senses Omega gets ahead of you, jumping to the skeleton and grabbing at the cuffs without any regard to his own hands getting burnt. He lifts Tzacl up as he grabs at both sides of the torture device and screams loudly with effort as he pulls at it as hard as he can. Just a second later the awful tool snaps in two pieces that fly as Omega tears it apart, getting the suffering skeleton finally free.  
Then both of them collapse on the grass. Omega lays on his back and breathes heavily, his hands still twitching a bit, while Tzacl retches violently, holding onto his neck and gasping for air. He falls onto his side and his whole body shakes as he desperately tries to catch his breath, completely exhausted from the awful experience. 

"Are you two ok?" Yarnus rushes to position himself between the two twitching skeletons. He takes one of Omegas giant hands into his and inspects it before turning to the other skeleton. For a moment he considers reaching out to Tzacl, but decides the other skeleton wouldn't appreciate the gesture. "Who did this to you? I thought Snork was exaggerating when he said that city was crazy." 

Omegas hands are burned a little, the same way one would be if they stuck their hand into a magic fire for too long. Tzacl is still laying on his side, clasping at his neckspine, taking deep shaky breaths. He coughs again, his breathing slowly calming down.  
He doesn't answer for a long time, then slowly and painfully sits up and the first thing he does is look into his shawl. He closes his eyes and rolls the shawl up again before you have a chance to see, patting on it with a sigh of relief. Whatever is inside moves a little as a response, but your staring is caught by Tzacls scowl. His tired eyes give you his usual frown, but somehow one not as hostile as usually.  
"YOU'VE SAVED MY LIFE," he nods. Then slowly gets up. "I SUPPOSE THAT MAKES US EVEN..." With that he starts walking away limping and stumbling, his form still shaky and weak. He doesn't get too far before falling to his knees again, but tries desperately to go on and get away from you. 

"Even?" Yarnus is a bit confused. He's sure that if he owed anything to Tzacl he would have been hounded about it. Jumping up he doesn't just follow but manages to step ahead when he tumbles again. "Who did this? Why? Was is the people in Zwezyr?" Yarnus backs up a bit to give the skeleton some room. "We were warned about them, but if they... if they do things like this we need to know." 

Tzacl growls at you, once again looking just as hostile as usually, but can barely even get up. "I HAVE BEEN CONFRONTED BY A GROUP OF BIG DUMB NEANDERTHALS. THEY REQUIRED ME TO HAND OVER AN ANIMAL I HAVE KILLED - FOR THEIR LEADER." He slowly gets up again and tries walking away from you. "I TOLD THEM TZACLKRATZ THE HORRIBLE BOWS DOWN TO NO ONE! WHEN THEY ATTACKED I FOUGHT GALLANTLY, BUT I WAS GREATLY OUTNUMBERED. THEY DRAGGED ME INTO A NEARBY FORT AND WOULD KEEP ME LOCKED UP UNLESS I SWORE ALLIANCE!" he yells with burning fury and hatred. "BUT I DO NOT BOW DOWN TO ANYONE! I DON'T HAVE TIME TO WORSHIP ANYBODY!!!"  
"so they kicked you out here in this state?" Omega asks, both of you slowly following the limping skeleton.  
"NO, I JUST GOT IN AN ARGUMENT WITH MY CAPTORS... DESPITE THEIR OWN CUSTOMS AND LAWS TELLING THEM OTHERWISE THEY DECIDED TO LIE ABOUT MY DEATH TO THEIR SUPERIORS AND DITCH ME OUT HERE TO DIE..."  
"oh shit, that's terrible," Omega says, carefully reaching out for Tzacl, "i'm so sorry you-" Tzaclkratz slaps his hand away, stumbling away from him.  
"I APPRECIATE YOU HELPING ME OUT OF THAT TORTUROUS DEVICE, BUT I-" His face contorts in pain as he falls again. "I DO NOT CARE FOR YOUR ALLIANCE! I HAVE MATTERS TO ATTEND TO AND I DO NOT NEED YOU TWO SLOWING ME DOWN!" 

Yarnus looks down at the fallen skeleton. He was in no shape to be running off anywhere. "From the sound of if it, the locals around here don't care for outsiders much. Maybe it would be best to travel together." Tzacl of course scoffs at the idea. Thinking back to their previous alliance Yarnus forms an idea. "You have very strong magic. Omega has a lot of physical strength. I have...." he hesitates at what exactly he would add to the trio. "I'm a bit of a diplomat of sorts." Yarnus smiles but forces to turn his head up and away, trying to look dramatic. "With the three of us working together no one could get in our way." 

Tzacl looks at you, his eyes full of fury. "I SAID I DO NOT - WANT - YOUR ALLIANCE!" He lifts an arm up and you step back when realizing he's about to chug an attack at you. But instead of a boneshard appearing Tzacl grabs at his arm and falls to the ground, his eyes full of surprise. He get even more furious, trying to summon another attack but only manages to put himself into more pain. His anger turns to horror as he stumbles on his knees. "MY MAGIC?! WHAT HAPPENED TO MY MAGIC??!?" Despite obviously getting agonized by each try he tries again, just knocking himself further down to the ground. Omega shakes his head.  
"it got all fucked up by dem shackles," he says, "you won't be able to use any of it till yer body gets it all in order again-"  
"I DID NOT ASK FOR YOUR- AARGH!" Tzacl yelps with another try, finally his last. He looks at you and Omega with hopelessness in his eyes, then tries to stumble away again.  
"dude come on yer gonna die if you go on your own!" Omega says, chasing after him in a light jog, "you know yer magic ain't just for attacks, your whole body is gonna be so weak you won't be able to even lift a spoon." He reaches out for the skeleton, this time more sure, but Tzacl has none of it. He fights back furiously, but is too weak to counter Omegas extreme physical strength. He picks up the still fighting skeleton into his arms, trying to carry him bridal style at first, but after getting several kicks to the face he realizes this won't work. Tzacl is like an angry cat, screeching and fighting against the gentle handling, until Omega grabs him under the arms and throws him over his shoulder like a rescued damsel. Tzacl tries to kick and punch but Omega is untouched, the tall skeleton being way too weak to cause him any real pain.  
The big skeleton looks at you with a silly smile, "unruly skeleton has been apprehended sir!" he salutes to you jokingly, giggling at the way Tzacls screeching voice gets extra high when he's this mad. 

The sound of Yarnus' hands smacking his face was nearly loud enough to be heard over Tzacls screeching. "Well unless you feel like carrying him all the way to Zwezyr... Let's set up camp near the river." Yarnus digs around looking for a can of howtowdie, "I think we still have one can left of the good stuff. It's as fresh as any of them can be." He looks back at the big skeleton chuckling at his captive. "Omega, no. We're not going to drag him to the hub or to Melon or anywhere he doesn't want to go." 

"i ain't plannin that but he sure as well needs us to help him out-"  
"NO I DO NOT! RELEASE ME AT ONCE!"  
"aren't you tired of screamin yet?"  
" NO! " Omega gives you a smile, shaking his head.  
"this guy i swear on the stars... it's like trying to hug a cactus." He throws with him on his shoulder a little. "lets go under those trees so we have someplace to hide ey?" He steps out to the mentioned trees, surrounded by shrubberies, about a quarter mile ahead.  
Tzacl keeps fighting and screaming, but not for long since he's still very weak. Soon he gets tired and stops, just laying limply and grumbling under his breath, his butt facing forward. You're not too proud of noticing it every single time you look over your big friend carrying the ungrateful sack of bones.  
You reach the trees and make a fire, hidden between the trees and shrubberies. It's actually a really good spot for a camp, and it seems you weren't the first to notice. the ground in the middle is charred and some fish bones are spread around in the fallen leaves.  
Omega pulls the sheet from his pocket and lays it down before carefully setting Tzaclkratz down on it. He tries to make him more comfortable, getting a kick in the stomach, but his magic belly shields him from it well. He sits next to him, leaning his back on a tree, and waits for you to whip up some grub. 

Yarnus warms up the can his homemade vittles and combines a couple of other cans into a small pot they had brought for a stew. All the while keeping an eye on his now two companions. Something puzzled him though. Tzacl obviously needed their help, but even when he lied, refusing their help Yarnus didn’t get the sense that he was lying. Perhaps his own view of the world had something to do with it?  
A portion of the stew was deposited into one empty can and Yarnus brought the rest over to Omega and Tzacl. Since there were only utensils for two Yarnus waited for Omega finish before eating himself. 

"thank you buddy," Omega says and quickly eats all of his food to give you his spoon, not wanting you to wait too long. He doesn't seem too bothered about having to eat so fast, grabbing the other bowl of stew and helping Tzacl sit up.  
"alright, here comes the grub," Omega says, preparing to feed him, much to the tall skeletons anger.  
"I AM PERFECTLY CAPABLE OF EATING ON MY OWN!" he snarls. Omega's pretending not to hear him, getting a spoonful.  
"here comes the airplane!" he laughs, but Tzacl doesn't find the joke too funny. He takes the bowl out of his hand and fights with be big skeleton over the spoon while Omega keeps laughing, obviously having a blast at the expenses of Tzaclkratz's pride.  
Tzacl doesn't say anything as he starts to eat, pissed off about Omega making fun of him. You notice him getting a little surprised when he tastes your cooking for the first time, obviously finding it good, but when he notices you watching he quickly reverts to being grumpy. Jeez, what an edgelord™.  
Omega ends up scraping out the very last bits of the stew from the pot, praising you for the good food. He then gets up and washes the dishes in the nearby river, but as he's coming back the sky goes dark again. Tzacl seems a little unnerved, his arm pressing at the shawl by his chest. Omega quickly jogs back to you, setting the wet dishes on a flat rock nearby.  
"jeez, tak about gettin caught after dark," he mutters, sitting closer to the fire, "it's a nice place, but this'd drive me fuckin crazy." He moves over to the sheet and shifts low.  
"hey, get over here, i'll hold onto ya so we can all-"  
"I AM NOT GOING TO STOOP DOWN TO SHARE BODY HEAT WITH SOMEONE OF YOUR KIND! I WILL LET YOU KNOW I AM-"  
"and i'll let you know that's my fuckin sheet you're layin on, so shut up ya pretentious lill dick and come here or move over!"  
"OH, I HIGHLY DOUBT YOU WILL MAKE ME, A WEAKENED INJURED MAN, MOVE OVER FROM THE SHEET - YOU'RE FAR TOO GOOD FOR THAT, FAR TOO WEAK!"  
"tzacl i am really trying to help you so i'm really trying to look past your shitty personality but i can't seem to find the end of it-"  
"WELL THAT IS NONE OF MY-" Suddenly a strange noise echoes from the darkness and to the surprise of all of you Tzacl jumps up and clings to Omega with fear. "WHAT WAS THAT??!"  
For a moment it's quiet. Then Omega starts laughing.  
"jeez tzacl, it's probably just some nightcritter! you could've just asked if you wanted a hug, hehehe," he puts his arm around him, obviously expecting him to immediately recoil. Tzacl doesn't however, still holding onto Omega for dear life.  
"S-SOME NIGHTCRITTER? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT CREATURES LURK THESE LANDS AT NIGHT?!" Omega looks at you with surprise, then shrugs, holding Tzacl closer. The tall skeleton doesn't seem very enthusiastic about being held, but doesn't fight back, looking out into the darkness with fear.  
"it's alright man, we're with ya. do you wanna sleep with us for safety?" Tzacl finally peels his eyes away from the darkness, giving Omega an annoyed frown.  
"NO, I DO NOT... BUT I SUPPOSE I HAVE NO OTHER CHOICE." He's very unhappy about having to admit that. Omega looks at you and grins widely, but doesn't say anything. 

With all the bickering between the two Yarnus’ head began to ache, so the sudden plunge into darkness was welcome. That was until the continued bickering seemed to have caught the attention of something in the woods. "He does have a point Omega. We were warned about the Canimorphs." Tzacls eye widen when given a name to his fear. "But there’s lots of animals around and that’s probably what you heard." he adds before the skeleton freaks out anymore.  
Yarnus sits down on the sheet where Tzacl was previously. "I’m thinking I might stay up and keep an eye out." This was partially suggested for their safety and partially because it would give him the chance to find out what it was being hid underneath the scarf. 

"good idea," Omega nods, "lets take turns tho. wake me up when you get too tired n i'll take over alright?" Then he lays down on his back, still holding onto Tzacl. The tall skeleton doesn't seem too thrilled, but doesn't fight back. It must be him being scared, although the big guys hug is hurting his pride.  
"YOU BETTER NOT TRY ANYTHING FUNNY AT NIGHT! I AM WARNING YOU - I SLEEP WITH ONE EYE OPEN." He gives both you and Omega a squinty eyed threatening look. With that he adjusts his shawl and lays on his side under Omegas arm, his head lifted up in an awkward pose so he doesn't have his face too close to the big skeleton.  
"yeah, good night to you too..." Omega mutters, setting down. In a short time he's already snoring.  
Tzacl stays up a little longer, annoyed and uncomfortable, but Omegas snoring seems to lull him to sleep slowly. In about half an hour his head sinks down to Omegas chest and his face becomes calm, so unlike his usual posture.  
Unfortunately, his shawl is dug under him right against Omegas side. You consider trying to roll him over, but damn do you not want to wake the man up, especially not with trying to peek where you know you shouldn't. Even if weak he'd surely rip you to pieces for intruding.  
So you sit by the fire, maintaining it, waiting if maybe he'll roll over on his own and you'll get your chance. You pass the time wondering what kind of secret could he be hiding. The night is calm, filled with frog croaking and bug chirping...  
Something moves in the darkness, something huge. You focus your eyes over between the trees, seeing a shadow move about. A pair of huge eyes lights up yellow, slowly passing you by, staring at you. For some reason you don't feel scared. You feel like you're meeting someone you know...  
The silhouette of the huge skeletal creature moves around you, then lays down between the shrubberies. It bears the looks of both a feline and a canine, is jaws enormous and dangerous looking, but its eyes filled with intelligence. The creature and you share a moment, looking one another in the eyes. It feels like a conversation with no words.  
The Canimorph only stays for a short time before slowly getting up again. It towers over the camp, closing its eyes and licking at its front leg, before turning away and leaving. Its long tail is the last thing you see of it, before it disappears between the trees. Once again you're alone. 

So that was what Masheenka had been. It had possibly been bigger than her. It was a little hard to tell it’s exact size in the dark. The yellow eyes also reminded him of the other creature that had crossed their path back in the caves. What horrid things had been done to drain the color from her soul. Yarnus tried to shake those imaginations out of his mind while tending to the dying embers of the fire. After a while he could feel his head getting heavy so stood and walked over to the sleeping skeletons. His attempts to climb onto Omega, because really that was the prime spot to sleep, stirred the sleepy giant who helped him up and mumbled something about five more minutes.  
"We had a visitor." A curious grunt came from below. "It was one of the Canimorphs and…" he let a yawn interrupt. "... I think they’ll respect us as long as we respect them." Omegas chest vibrated with a deep hum as his arm came over securing Yarnus to his chest. In the morning, he tried to remind himself, he should ask Tzacl what sort of animal did he kill the other day. Probably not a Canimorph he hoped. As he slept on his friend one arm drooped down between the other two sleeping skeletons.


	24. Infilthtration

You dream of a time, long time ago, when you were with the weaver family with the other children. In your dream, which really is almost more of a memory, it's a late autumn evening and you and the others are after a long day of playing outside in the last warm days of the year. All of you are tired and the weather has gotten cold, so you all huddle in front of the fireplace while your aunt makes you some fritted apples in the kitchen. The smell lingers around the room as you and the other children talk about your day, leaning over one another, comfortable in the big cuddle pile of your different species siblings. You feel at home.  
You wake up and immediately know exactly what prompted you to dream about that memory. Stuffed between the two significantly bigger skeletons you're surrounded by warmth so comfortable yet... well, Tzacl holding your around the chest feels a little odd. Very odd actually.  
Both him and Omega are still fast asleep, Omega snoring loudly while Tzacl growls from his sleep, squeezing you tighter. You can feel his armour scratching over the back of your cuirass.  
The light is on again, a small murder of crows with cobalt shaded plumage pecking around the cans you've left aside yesterday. 

It's strange to have woken up before the others, but perhaps just the brightness is to blame. Yarnus struggles against Tzacls grasp, but all the good it does is to scatter the crows. He grips tighter and mumbles in his sleep. Waking Omega might be easier. Using his legs he attempts to jostle the larger skeleton. 

You gently poke your knee into Omegas belly, not wanting to wake him up too harshly. The big skeleton stop snoring abruptly, exhaling deeply, but doesn't actually wake up. You poke into him a little harder, making him mumble as he slowly comes to his senses.  
"w-wha..." he carefully lifts himself up on his elbows and gives off a huge yawn. Then he looks down at you, scratching his belly, but his movement quickly stops and his eyes go a little wide when he sees you wrapped into the tall skeletons arms. "whoa... ya alright there lill guy?" he chuckles, "need any help?" You just nod.  
Omega grins as he lays back down and wraps his arms around the both of you, giggling. You give him an annoyed look, but have to smirk a little at his amused laughter. Stars, he's such a goofball.  
"okay okay, i'm just kiddin," he laughs, letting go of you. He looks over the tall skeleton, rubbing his chin. "after all that talk bout sleepin with one eye open huh? he's sleepin like a piece of log!" He frowns a little, "wonder when was the last time he had some proper sleep..."  
Finally he puts his hands between the two of you, carefully peeling him off of you like a baby possum from its mother. Tzacl somehow remains asleep through all this until you're finally free, sitting over Omegas leg, looking down at the tall skeleton. His peaceful expression soon turns to a small frown, squeezing his arms tighter around his own chest. He growls, then his eyes twitch and... his expression turns to pitiful.  
" c-come back... " he whimpers. Both you and Omega don't really know what to do, just watching as he slowly begins to wake up. His sad eyes flutter open and he squints around, confused, until his eyes land on you. Immediately he frowns, looking around once more to figure out where he is.  
"OH..." he says once he remembers, slowly sitting up. Omega pretends to have been tending to you the whole time, rubbing your skull softly. Tzacl turns away from you and stares off into the distance, longingly... then scoffs.  
"HOW LONG HAVE I BEEN ASLEEP?" 

"a couple o' days. we were start'n ta get worried bout you." This comment earned Omega a jab to the belly.  
"No. You slept the whole blackout and then some. Except for one visitor the night was uneventful." Both skeletons questioned about the mysterious visitor.  
"A curious Canimorph came by and checked us out. It stayed for a while then left. I don't think we'll have problems with them unless..." Yarnus pointed looked at the grumpy skeleton. "...as long as we aren't hostile towards them. Tzacl, what sort of creature did you kill that got the locals riled up?" 

Tzacl looks a little scared when you mention the night visitor, but calms down when you say it wasn't a hostile one. When questioned he adapts his usual scowl, getting up and adjusting his shawl.  
"IF YOU MUST KNOW... IT WAS AN ENORMOUS SKELETAL FELINE WITH BRIGHT RED EYES. IT ATTACKED ME AT NIGHT AND HAD NEARLY TORN ME TO PIECES!" he throws his hands up, but then smirks confidently, "BUT I AM NOT ONE TO BE BEATEN BY SOME STUPID ANIMAL. I CLEAVED ITS SKULL EASILY WITH MY ATTACKS." For a moment he stops, looking away. "YET... I DID NOT FEEL SO PROUD. HOW STRANGE. HOW UNLIKE ME TO FEEL BAD FOR TAKING A LIFE. FOR REASONS I CANNOT EXPLAIN I FELT COMPELLED TO BURY THE CREATURE, NO MATTER ITS SIZE. AS I WAS DIGGING ITS GRAVE, THE LOCALS HAD CAUGHT UP WITH ME AND INSISTED I HAND THE CARCASS OVER. WHEN I REFUSED THEY ATTACKED AND, WELL, YOU KNOW THE REST..." 

"Interesting…" Tzacl took this as a compliment of his fighting prowess and puffed up a bit. "That might have been a Canimorph. The one I saw last night looked a little more canine than just feline and it had the same color eyes as me. It was huge, but we...connected a bit. Interesting." The little skeleton fell silent for a bit. The fact that Tzacl may have felt a similar connection made Yarnus believe that it wasn’t just his powers that made him feel a connection to the beast. Perhaps it was a way the Canimorphs communicated. The red-eyed lashed out like Tzacl would. Last night’s was contemplative like himself. A blue-eyed one… Yarnus looked up to the big skeleton stroking his head. If it acted like Omega it would probably drown them in slobber before trying to mount them.  
Yarnus cleared his non-existent throat, a slight blush coming across his face. "I have a theory that they are very perceptive of emotions. It might be best to let me interact with them if we come across another one since my power is similar to theirs." With this he stood and stretched.  
"So Tzaclkratz, who is it that you’re looking for? Or are you trying to get to the hub like we are? With these blackouts as annoying as they are we should probably stick together. Besides…" he yawns and sends Omega a conspiratory wink. "I didn’t sleep at all, so you owe me at least one good nights sleep." 

Tzacl folds his arms and closes his eyes, and to your surprise instead of scoffing once again hums thoughtfully. "HMM... YES, I SUPPOSE I DO. DESPITE MY RESENTMENT TO YOUR PERSON, YOU AND YOUR ASSOCIATE HAVE KEPT ME SAFE IN MY TIME OF NEED," he nods. "I AM, IN FACT, COMING TO THE TOWN OF ZWEZYR WHICH HOLDS THE HUB YOU ARE SEARCHING FOR, SO I MAY JOIN YOUR RETINUE UNTIL MY LOAN HAS BEEN REPAID." His sense of equity greatly surprises you, since one would only expect hate and hostility from the guy. Then he opens his eyes with a look more suiting his character, distrustful and unfriendly. "HOWEVER, WHAT MY BUSINESS THERE IS IS NONE OF YOUR CONCERN AND I'D GREATLY APPRECIATE IF YOU DID NOT INTRUDE, UNDERSTOOD?" His words are very hostile although it is a somewhat polite request. 

"Understood." Yarnus holds his hands up in defeat. "As long as your business brings no harm to us, or others, I’ll not pry further. I don’t intrude into people’s souls on a whim." he starts to help Omega fold up the sheet and otherwise clean up the campsite. "Maiden and his brother said we should have reached Zwezyr by blackout, so we should be pretty close. Hopefully the river is as stable as the old train tracks." 

"THAT IS SETTLED THEN, LET US PROCEED." With that he steps out on your way. Omega grins excitedly as he puts the sheet back into his pocket, quickly catching up and giving Tzacl a friendly little bump in the shoulder.  
"eyy, i knew you'd turn around!" he says excitedly. Tzacl doesn't answer, just giving him a murderous look and speeding up a little.  
You continue by the river, walking deeper and deeper into the forest. You wonder if you could climb up a tree and see if the city is ahead already, but the trees are quite huge and don't look very easily climbable. But by the looks of the stepped out path you can guess you're getting pretty close.  
You suddenly meet another person, a hunched over small horned lizard fella. Her snout is elongated and her eyes wild, passing you by without giving you as much as a fleeting glance. On her back is a huge basket padded with cloths in which about half a dozen smaller lizards, presumably her kids, are fidgeting around. Omega wants to engage in a conversation but she seems in a hurry so he lets her go.  
You suddenly find yourself in the middle of a very small town square. A few stands are built around, between about a dozen primitive houses. Many kinds of monsters sit around or carry things from house to house. Seems like an ordinary village.  
Tzacl passes you by, walking right to one of the stands in which very old cow lady is selling clothes and wool. He takes his boot off and rolls a few golden coins on the table, being handed a gray cloth which he immediately throws over himself to create a sort of disguise.  
There's two more stands in the square - in one a depressed looking lizardman sells clay pots and cutlery. The second, ran by a bunny boy, sells various kinds of food. You're almost hypnotized when the smell of freshly baked bread fills your nosehole.  
The monsters don't pay you much attention, except giving Omega a few nervous glances from time to time. 

Though the thought of some sweet rolls would be nice, neither Omega nor Yarnus have the coin this village seems to require. Asking Tzacl for coin for a frivolous purchase would no doubt start a long tirade from the skeleton, attracting too much attention. Speaking of attention, the stares following Omega are nearly palatable to Yarnus even if his large friend may be unaware.  
"This doesn't look like a place that would have a hub. I expected more stonework from that ghosttown." He moves to walk alongside his friend, hopefully to alleviate any fear the locals might have seeing such a large monster among their midst. "I’d like to go back and talk to the cloth merchant if we had time, but I think it’s best to keep moving in case anyone recognizes Tzacl. I can’t see that going very well for any of us." 

You step out on your way again, the road to the city broad and somewhat more busy. Milestones made out of polished black rock state the distance to the city, unfortunately in some strange measuring system that you don't know. At least you can tell you're getting closer.  
The vegetation thins as you approach, until eventually you can see the sky again. And not just the sky. The city of Zwezyr appears before you, although you can only see the surrounding walls and the highest buildings. The highest one looks like a castle tower. From the very top a beacon of light is shining upwards, all the way into the endless blue of the cloudless sky.  
The city is surrounded by tall walls made out of the same shiny black stone. Must be the voidrock you've read about earlier, it looks quite pretty although you have your doubts about the skills of whoever built it. The embrasures are uneven and the battlement is too low to provide any real defense. Then again, they probably don't have much to defend against.  
The gate is enormous, lazily ironclad, as if somebody was gonna decorate it but then just kinda quit halfway. Looking closer you can tell that the decor of the iron gate is made in a different style, suggesting the gate being older than the decor.  
Before the gate are a bunch of market stands, selling all kinds of things, none of them of much interest to you. You notice, although wide open, only very few monsters come inside, usually dressed better than the others or accompanying somebody like so. A huge armoured skeleton with thick fangs sticking up from the lower jaw is standing by the entrance, nodding off. He lazily looks over the folk coming in and out of the gate. 

"Maybe that little village thought you were kin to this guy," Yarnus whispered to Omega. "But more importantly Tzacl, is this where you were brought after killing the…" he lowered his voice in case they were overheard, "...the animal?" 

Tzacl shakes his head lightly, only the movement of his cape visible. "IT WAS A MUCH SMALLER FORT, SHORT WAY OFF OF WHERE YOU HAVE FOUND ME," he says in as much of a whisper as he can manage. "STILL, IF THEY EXCHANGE INTELLIGENCE, (THE LITTLE THEY HAVE, HMP), IT WOULDN'T BE WISE TO GO IN UNDISGUISED. WE SHOULD BE FINE AS LONG AS NOBODY ASKS ANY QUESTIONS..." 

Yarnus nods in agreement and then motions over to a quiet spot. "I've been thinking about that since we left the village." He squares up and looks at Tzacl up and down. The gray cloak didn't really hide anything noticeable on his frame. His shoulders were just as pointed and wide. His boots stuck out in comparison to the dull fabric. "If I had to describe you to someone using three words they would be... tall, thin, and pointy. So you’re still recognizable even with the fabric you picked up." Tzacl responded to the insult of his camouflage with a glare. "That gives us two options. One, you could wear Omegas parka to add bulk and look less pointy." He gestured to the wide shoulders of the tall skeleton. "Or two...we could switch clothes, mostly. You probably can’t fit in my cuirass, but I could let out a pleat or two and you could wear my kilt. I can make a quick kilt for myself from the fabric. Even if I was wearing your pointy outfit, no one would mistake me for you." Yarnus wasn’t quite sure what to make of the expression that was crossing Tzacls face. 

Anger. It was anger. Completely borderless burning fury.  
You can't tell what pisses him off more - the fact that you would dare to bring up such an idea or that you're right. Probably the second one. He makes a furious humming sound, his irises so bright you feel like you'd burn your hand if you touched them, then closes his eyes with an angry exhale. He raises a hand towards Omega with defeat.  
"HAND IT OVER..." Omega is confused for a second, then quickly starts taking his thick parka off. Tzacl adjusts his shoulderpads a little more, grabbing for the fluffy jacket and throwing it around his shoulders.  
Well, that scratches thin and pointy off the list. In the oversized piece of clothing he looks like the world's angriest Eskimo.  
"hehehe! you look so much like me now!" Omega tries to help him adjust the zipper but Tzaclkratz slaps his hand away.  
"HOW INSULTING..." he growls, but Omega is still chuckling like a maniac, wiping away a little tear. He looks weird with just his white shirt on... 

"Well Omega said guys like us are usually seen in pairs," Yarnus did a pretty good job of not giggling at the scene in front of him. "Now at least two of us look somewhat similar." He turned and watched as the few people milled through the gates. The well dressed ones struck him as nobles, with escorts or servants following behind.  
"How do I look?" The petite skeleton adjusted his shawl after using it to buff out a mark on his cuirass. Hopefully any stains on his kilt were hidden inside or in a fold. "I think we'd fit in as a group if we pretend that you two are my guards or guides." 

"UGH, FINE! NOT LIKE THIS CAN POSSIBLY GET ANY MORE IGNOMINIOUS..." Tzacl folds his arms.  
"aw shush, at least you won't end up like last time ey?" Omega pats him on the back. Tzacl just closes his eyes and grumbles.  
You peek out of your hiding behind one of the stands. The guard is, ironically, barely keeping his guard. How should you approach? 

Yarnus steps out with the other two following behind. "Just keep a step or two behind me Omega. Tzacl knows how to stay out of the line of sight, it's just a bit harder when we're out in the open." They started casually walking to the gate. Yarnus standing as straight, and as tall, as he could with Omega trailing behind. He couldn't see where Tzacl was exactly, but figured he'd be able to keep out of site of the guard behind Omega, even if he was wearing the oversized parka. 

You enter the gateway and your marrow turns with nervousness when the guard squints his frowning eyes at you, his expression ever so stupid. But you don't let your emotions show, walking still, keeping your eyes away...  
You gasp when the guards spear slowly lowers before you, stopping you. The guard slowly gets up from a barrel he's been sitting on, approaching the three of you. He looks at you and you're just about to speak, but he turns so Omega instead immediately after and speaks up in a thick accent.  
"Oi, ya keerp an eyre on yer kird n wirfe," he gesticulates to you and Tzacl. Tzacl's eyes go bright fir anger and he opens his mouth to protest but you quickly shush him with a small kick. The guard turns to the city, "threy sray sorme nogoorder escarped from prisorn irn Fort Cireln. Her's tarll, thirn arnd poinrty." He pats Omega on the shoulder, "ars lorng ars irt's dem smarller ornes, ey?" he chuckles. Omega just keeps a huge twitchy grin on his face, sweat pouring down his scalp.  
"haha, yeah, we'll totally- ehm, totarlly keerp an eyre! thr-thranks."  
The guard then turns around to get back to his post, but before he turns around again all three of you are gone. You run further into the giant gateway and stop only after arriving on the other side and hiding behind a corner. Omega sighs in relief, wiping his forehead.  
"holy shit, that guys accent was almost worse than omnicrons... wonder if it's a local thing. hope not, i had trouble understanding him at all!"  
"HOW COULD HE THINK I WAS YOUR WIFE??!" Tzacl yells, "DO I LOOK LIKE SOME STANDARDLESS VIRGIN?!?!" Omega quickly shushes him again, while you look around.  
The city looks awful. The buildings are all wonky and poorly built, the streets littered, everything looks like from a poorly kept animal pen. Disgusting.  
The streets are also crooked and uneven. Everything is built big, to fit its huge locals. Many huge skeletons with overgrown teeth walk around lazily. You're actually kind of offended that they'd confuse Omega with these guys, they're ugly and seem like total assholes.  
The castle is towering over the rest of the city, in the middle of it surrounded by walls and a moat. Seems close enough, but with how chaotic the streets are you aren't sure if the way there will be as easy as it looks from here... 

"No wonder the traders knew about this place. The big one probably came from around here." Yarnus jumps over a putrid puddle that seems to connect to others down the path. "This place is slimier than they were." Perhaps it was simply that his head was too close to the stench, but Yarnus reached up to Omega to be picked up. "We should probably keep up the cover given to us. Just don't go kissing on "mommy" in front of me. That sort of thing grosses out "kids" like me." Once situated comfortably on Omega he points forward and in a high voice says, "I wanna go ta da casktel!" 

Omega laughs, putting you up on his shoulders. "but did ya brush yer teeth already? no castles before you eat your veggies!" You step out on your way with Tzacl following slowly, muttering on about idiots and cretins.  
You walk on through, constantly getting lost in the filthy streets. There's a whole lot of dead ends and it feels more like a maze than a city. Luckily you can see the tower of light from anywhere so navigation is not as hard as it could be.  
The other skeletons give you dirty looks which make you nervous at first, but looking around you can see sort of everybody is looking like that at everybody. Seems like such an unpleasant place...  
You eventually make it, finding yourself in the town square. The huge castle stands before you, surprisingly pretty compared to the rest of the city. It's much more sound and precise. Couldn't have been made by the same people who made the rest of the city.  
Two much more competent looking guys in heavy armour are guarding the entrance. The gate is closed and the moat bridge raised, nobody is coming in or out.  
"THERE, THE HUB IS GUARDED IN THOSE WALLS," Tzacl points to the huge structure. Omega hums in worry.  
"i don't think they'll just let us in... what should we do?" 

"The question is... what are we going to do when we reach the hub. I know absolutely nothing about hubs, just that you needed to get to one. Do you go through them somehow? Do we stay on this side, will we need to escape? If we do go through how will we get back to Masheenka?" They can almost literally see the gears moving in Yarnus brain. "Then there's Tzacl. He's looking for someone, but will he need to stay, or come with us. I promised I wouldn't pry, but I don't want what I'm thinking about leave him in a bind in any way." He stops for a moment once he realizes he's been talking in an uninterruptable stream. 

"YES, WE SHALL CONCEIVE A PLAN BEFORE ACTING..." Tzacl nods. Omega shrugs.  
"well, we really only gotta use the hub once to let the guys at sansuary know where we are. then they'll be able to pick us up." He frowns, looking over the castle. "i mean, they could just let us use it right? it's not like we want to take it."  
"I HIGHLY DOUBT THESE SIMPLE CRETINS WILL LET US HAVE ANYTHING FOR FREE. I SAY WE COLLECT MORE INFORMATION BEFORE MAKING ANY DECISIONS." Omega shrugs, nodding.  
"sure i guess... where do we get the info?" Tzacl stays silent, then lowers his head.  
"I DO NOT KNOW..."  
All three of you get to thinking. You stare at the castle, wondering if there could be any secret passages or so. You follow the moat with your eyes, then spot a tavern closeby.  
Maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to search there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My excitement to publish got taken over by another related project. Once I get that one out of my system I'll get back to publishing. Should just be a week.


	25. Tolerance

"The sailors back home would tell you just about anything when they had a few drinks in them," he points towards the tavern. "We could go there, but I'm not sure how we'd pay for any drinks. Tzacl's the only one of us with any coins that I know of. I mean I could probably cook for them, but I don't think that'll get us very far." 

"FINANCES ARE NOT A PROBLEM," Tzacl nods, "I DO NOT MIND SPENDING MY COINS FOR A CAUSE SUCH AS THIS." You're a little surprised by this, but all the better. You decide to try your luck.  
You arrive at the door, in which another one of those huge guys with crooked teeth stands. You try to get inside, but he stops you by showing into you quite hard, almost letting you fall onto the filthy street. Much to your thankfulness Tzacl grabs you by the back of your neck, quite painfully, but better than getting your kilt dirty.  
"Oi, no kirds or womern allowred!" he growls. You three exchange an unsure look, stepping back to talk your game plan over.  
"HOW DISRESPECTFUL! AND IDIOTIC! WHO EVER HEARD OF GENDER DISCRIMINATION BETWEEN SKELETONS FOR STARS SAKE!?!"  
"i dunno man! it makes no sense!" Omega cries, then wonders for a moment. "...d you think these folk are forced into a role or somethin? i mean, it makes sense with the meaty monsters, but we're all ambiguous..."  
"SIMPLE CRETINS! I SHALL HAVE A WORD WITH HIM!" Omega grabs Tzacls arm before he can blow your cover.  
"nonono, you'll get us all caught! we'll have to think of something better..." After a while of silence Tzacl sighs.  
"JUST GO IN WITHOUT US, WE SHALL WAIT HERE..." Omegas eyes get wide.  
"w-what? go in without you guys? but i- i don't wanna go in there alone!"  
"WHY NOT? ARE YOU SCARED?" Tzacl asks mockingly. Omega taps his fingers together.  
"yes..." Tzacl rolls his eyes.  
"JUST GO! YOU WILL BE FINE!" Tzacl begins pushing the big skeleton back to the door, "YOUR FAT WILL PROTECT YOU FROM THE PUNCHES THEY WILL MOST LIKELY INFLICT UPON YOU FOR YOUR IDIOTIC CHEER AND SMILE!" He shoves Omega all the way to the door, throwing some coins into his hand, then turns around and goes back to you. Omega stand there for a while, the doorguard staring at him suspiciously. Omega dusts his shirt and smiles nervously at the guard before coming in.  
Then you wait. After about ten minutes bells sound out into the city, both you and Tzacl getting startled. Just a few seconds after they ring, the darkness falls. The city goes silent, only the giant column of light from the castle illuminating the city.  
Tzacl still looks incredibly funny with Omegas parka on, his arms folded, leaning on the badly built wall of black stone.  
You wait. And wait. And wait... 

Yarnus begins to pace back and forth much to Tzacls annoyance. Eventually he gives up and leans back against the wall looking up at the taller skeleton. A slight glow catches his eye. Either there is a reflection off from the castle, or there's a lit window above them. He turns and starts inspecting the wall. "I could probably climb this. To see if he's okay in there or needs help." The gaps in the stone are really no match for his smaller-than-the-norm fingers. 

You carefully climb the wall, trying to ignore Tzacl giving you an unamused annoyed stare. You easily climb up the badly built wall and peek inside.  
It's... not as lively as you've imagined. A few big locals sit around a table playing some sort of game with small stones, another is sipping a drink from a huge wooden mug in solitude...  
You have to look around more and climb onto the window a little to see better. Finally you see Omega, but also somebody who you don't like the looks of at all. The two slimy traders! They're sitting at the table with him, talking. Omega seems almost sickeningly friendly with them, the big skeleton looking disinterested while the small skeleton looks way too interested. You don't like this at all.  
You see Omega is... a little uncoordinated. It only takes you a minute of watching him to see he's piss drunk. Ah hell… 

Omega can't hold his liquor, but at least he's not in danger. A tiny growl escapes the small skeleton when he focuses back on the traders. He kinda wished he was a fly on the wall right about now. At this distance it would take too much energy and would be too obvious to try to read their intentions. If anything, the whole tavern could sense a feeling of being watched or paranoid and that could possibly trigger a bar fight. From what he already knew of them, if (or when) Omega slips up and mentions Tzacl, they'd would try to cash in on whatever reward the could get their grimy hands on. Good thing all three didn't go in, the traders would have blown their cover immediately.  
But why were they here? If they were going to come here anyway they could have escorted them practically to the hub instead of just giving directions, unless… "Hey Tzacl," Yarnus whispered down to the waiting skeleton. "Omega’s talking to those traders from the caves in there. What do you know of them? Did you travel together? You couldn’t have followed us and gotten ahead so fast." 

Tzacl looks a little surprised. "THE TRADERS? HOW STRANGE... I HAVE MET WITH THEM VERY RECENTLY." You look at him in confusion, awaiting more information. "YOU SEE I HAVE FOLLOWED THE DIRECTIONS WE WERE GIVEN, THROUGH THE TUNNELS, THE LAIR OF THE DOZEN HEADED CREATURE, THE GOLDEN HALLS AND THE SNOWGLOBE... BUT THE WAY TO THE GRASSLANDS WAS BLOCKED WITH A BROKEN METAL DOOR. I SPENT A NIGHT IN THE HOUSE AND SOON AFTER MET THEM THERE, TOO. THEY HAD, FOR A PRICE OF COURSE, HELPED ME OPEN THE DOOR. BUT AFTER THAT WE PARTED WAYS ONCE AGAIN..."  
You think hard about the information given. You've met the saleskeletons the day after Perlo has perished, Tzacl had probably taken a few days to get there, then the next day he met them there... well, it kinda adds up, since you spent a lot of time helping Masheenka. They must have their ways to get around faster, maybe a steed? Who knows. But why are they here now? Did they just happen to have the same way or did they follow you? They must've known you'd come here since they were the ones giving you direction...  
You start to get paranoid. What if there is no hub? Nobody else but them said anything about a hub, maybe they've lead you here to trap you - those charlatans!  
You growl in fury when you see the small skeleton gently place his hand on Omegas, undoubtedly saying something awfully sleazy to him-  
But Omega seems to have reached his limit. He suddenly slumps down and falls on the floor. Both saleskeletons look surprised, looking down at him, then the smaller one does an undoubtedly 'funny' remark to the bigger one, which stays just as stoic as ever. You watch intensely as they slowly get up from their chairs and stand above the passed out skeleton, gently nudging into him with their feet.  
The door suddenly opens and you fall back in shock. The group that was gambling all evening is now leaving, not paying you much attention as they chat about who owes how much to whom.  
After they're gone you quickly jump back into the window, only to see the two dragging Omega away! Your eyes scan the room, only the bartender and one sleeping habitue are in the bar besides the three skeletons of interest. 

While they had looked genuinely surprised at Omegas alcohol intolerance, dragging him off was completely unnecessary. Part of him wanted to rush in to confront them head on, but the very core of his being demanded to know if they truly meant harm. Had they lied before he would have noticed, unless… did his power not work properly on those born in the void? He had picked up on Tzacls emotions with no problem before. With Masheeka he had to push further than he normally would have, and Perlo… well, he had been a whole other mystery all together.  
"They’re hauling off Omega! I don’t know what they’re doing, but…" he voice was a bit panicky at first but then took on a more serious tone. "... I’m about to find out."  
With the more troublesome patrons out of the way there was a little less danger and distraction from using his powers. The window glass could cause problems if he tried too hard, it would reflect back on him, but it shouldn’t get in his way that much if everything worked as he was used to. Steadying himself on the windowsill he concentrated on the smaller saleskeletons soul. 

You push your magic into your eyes, staring at the small skeleton that stands idly by, letting his big partner do all the work. You find the link and you immediately get inside, not even caring about him noticing that something's up from the intrusion, just wanting to know if Omega is safe.  
It's empty. Not the same kind of empty as Perlo was, where you couldn't even find his soul. The small saleskeleton indeed has a soul, but it's like listening to a deaf speaker or trying to read a closed book. You try looking harder and suddenly  
He turns to you, with a maleficent smirk. Despite your shock you finally catch something, a thought of his, spoken loud and clear in his inner voice. "The bartender is asleep. I'll wait in the back room."  
Then he winks lightly, the link suddenly breaking off against your will. You almost fall from the window, just seeing him graciously slip behind the door, leaving it it a tiny bit open. 

The shock of being both blocked and manipulated like that sends shivers down the Justiciars spine. That and lack of good sleep makes Yarnus lose his grip while crawling down. Luckily he’s caught by a familiar blue parka.  
"AND JUST HOW ARE YOU GOING TO "FIND OUT" WHEN YOU FAIL AT SOMETHING SO SIMPLE AS CLIMBING A WALL?" The glaring skeleton sets the small one down, crossing his arms while waiting for a response.  
"He...he...I....I…" The small skeleton couldn’t possibly be any more visibly disturbed. "I can read souls, but his… but he… He’s telepathic. He told me the bartender is asleep and that… that I should meet him in the back room. Oth...other than that, I don’t know what’s going on." A clack suddenly echoes down the alley. Yarnus looks up and touches his face where the other skeleton had slapped him.  
"NOW IS NOT THE TIME FOR YOUR FOOLISH HYSTERICS! IF YOU ARE GOING IN THERE I AM COMING WITH YOU. THEY MADE A MISTAKE NOT ESCORTING ME AND I DO NOT TAKE KINDLY TO SUCH OVERSIGHT."  
Yarnus stood up straighter and squared his shoulders. The slap had helped clear his head just enough to see that there was no malice directed at him from the tall skeleton. Even back in the tunnels when they had first met he knew that Tzacl was a protector. The two of them were more alike than either of them would care to admit. Sounding much more in control of his own emotions he spoke calmly. "I’m not sure what their opinion is about you after your escape. If anything this could be a trap for either of us. They already manipulated us into assassinating someone purely at their profit." Looking around at the voidstone town he added, "and I’m starting to think they dragged us into their politics." Connections were starting to form in his skull but he shook them to the side for now. "I’m sure they have no interest in me, so it must be you that they are after, my friend. If you want to follow me that’s your choice. But at the same time I don’t want to endanger you t..." He stepped around the tall skeleton and slipped inside past the now sleeping doorman.  
Tzacl blinked for a moment. Did the puny skeleton say ‘too’ as in ‘also’, or ‘two’ as in… wait… did Tzaclkratz the Horrible slip up talking about the traders? He had said ‘WE’ but wasn’t with Yarnus for the directions was he? Either way that foolish little skeleton was willingly walking into a trap alone for the sake of his friend and… didn’t he just casually call you ‘my friend’ ? 

Carefully you tiptoe around the bouncer and step inside. The pub is filled with a musty smell of overdone steaks and stale beer. The bartender is indeed asleep at the tap, the one remaining barfly snoring loudly. Seems like the coast is clear.  
You step inside and carefully walk over the room to the open door. You push it more open carefully, luckily it doesn't screech despite its poor built. Turning around you see the slightly unsure and disturbed Tzacl following, holding the parka closer around himself. You hold the door open for him and you both slip behind it.  
a long stairway follows, leading into what seems like a storage room, huge barrels and kegs stacked around. There's enough room for all five of you, the two saleskeletons, you and Tzacl and Omega laying on the floor, groaning lightly. The small saleskeleton opens his mouth to speak but Omega suddenly starts blabbering, rocking back and forth to get that momentum to get up.  
"there he isss!" he grabs onto a barrel and slowly gets up, grabbing onto Tzacl who barely stays on his feet. "this is my beautiful wifeee, aaaaaaand," he reaches for you, "my beautiful son-" he misses completely and crashes on the ground. The small saleskeleton smirks lightly.  
"Well, I'd certainly keep a better eye on him when around beverages, a little advice from me, for reference." He grins widely, tapping his fingers together once again. His eyes never lose that sleazy half lidded self confidence. 

The scene before him was not what he had suspected. Of all the horrible scenarios that had crossed his mind, he had never thought of the traders doing something so… nice. There had to be something in it for them. "Actually, I'm not even mad; that's amazing." Yarnus looked down at his ‘father’ on the floor. "Even while completely daft blotted he’s still…" he paused for a moment. Unsure if somehow Omega had somehow tricked the traders into believing their farce, he changed the subject. "How many drinks did he have anyway?"  
The trader held up a measly number of fingers before gazing down at the short skeleton. "But that’s not the question you wanted to ask was it… kiddo?" He winked. "Surely you know how business works around here by now. Those answers come at a price… and a pretty steep one at that." The saleskeletons smile could not have gotten creepier or as far under Yarnus’ non-existent skin.  
"N O ."  
The confused expression on the traders face didn’t have time to change to anything else before Yarnus began a spirited rant. "I don’t know why I can’t read you, or how you could talk to me like you did, but WE…" He pointed towards Tzacl who was leaning up on stack of barrels. Barrels of alcohol. Flammable alcohol. ...shit. Yarnus had to reign in his temper in and fast. He did not want a repeat of the ‘barn incident’ here. It would be a disaster.  
"We have done you a service without pay. The information you gave was only what you needed us to know to get what you wanted. Gold and dust was payed for your information and it has been severely overpriced." Tzacl was paying attention more now that he was sure that the traders had been playing them both for fools this whole time. "Just be upfront, what are you using us for?" Yarnus’ bright eyes flicked back and forth between the two saleskeletons. "I suspect you are not simply just businessmen." 

It's silent for a moment. Then, a huge creepy smile spreads over the small skeletons face.  
"You've got way more smarts than you look," he says, raising his hands to tap his fingers together again. "Indeed, we've not come here just to restock... and indeed... you could be of great use to us." He takes out a piece of paper, presenting it to you. You hesitantly unfold it, seeing that it's a... map of the castle?  
"We've told you there is a hub here, and indeed, there is. Sadly, these imbeciles have no idea what they have on their hands. Instead of using it to guide the lost of the Void back home, they are worshiping it - letting their leader use it for her own selfish gain. She powers the machine with soul power that doesn't belong to her, breaking the already fragile reality of this place, trying to do... something. Whatever it is, it will be bad news for this place and everybody in it." He looks at you, a little more serious. "I admit, we were going to trick you into killing her... but, seeing how righteous and just you are, I suppose there is no need to lie anymore."  
He goes silent again, giving you space for questions, coming back to his sleazy smile. 

"You people seem to always take things as you see them. I've been mistaken for a child here despite the fact that I'm walking around in armor." Yarnus gestures down at Omega who is softly snoring in what looks to be the most uncomfortable position ever. "This big softy won't like the idea of killing someone, but he knows a thing or two about getting a hub up and running. I'm not 100% sure about Tzacl, but I'm not comfortable ending a life without a really good reason."  
Yarnus hopped up onto a nearby cask. "How is it that their leader is female, but they seem to not respect women from what I can tell? Who exactly is this leader? Do you know if her soul is like yours, where I couldn't read it."  
Yarnus still doesn't trust these guys further than he could throw them. The way he said 'righteous and just' made him feel like he's being manipulated again. Was he just being safely skeptical, or did the trader have some sort of persuasive power. 

The saleskeleton shakes his head. "Unfortunately, we don't have all the information. I think she is regarded less as a woman and more as a godlike being, from the way her people speak of her. I've even heard some call her a 'he', or even an 'it'. Most locals call her just 'The Leader', some call her 'The Pearl Stallion' or 'The Dragon Soul'. She has many names... but, digging deep enough in books written by natives of this land, we've found her original name is 'Equinlibria'." He smiles unhappily, shrugging. "As you can see, putting her down will be no easy task, since we barely know what she even is. She will most likely be more than just a monster, with all the soulpower she's stolen. But, since all of her powers depend on the hub, it becomes her weakpoint." 

"So you’re saying you want us to slay a horse-dragon-god? That sounds impossible or at least difficult. Not to mention expensive, but I digress. I’m all for stopping her from causing more damage and repairing the hub. To do that we’ll need to at least blend in with the locals and…" Yarnus rubs the bone between his eyesockets. "...we could use a safe place to rest. I doubt the owner of this place would be happy to find a drunken patron and his family hiding out in their store room." The small skeleton drops off of his perch with a sleepy smile. "I think it would be best to discuss this further after a good rest."  
While Yarnus had gotten a bit of a nap the night before, he was still tired. This night had used more of his energy than he really wanted and it was starting to show on his face. 

"Don't you worry about a thing, buddy." Oh you really hate the way he says that. "We have you covered. Follow us."  
With Tzacl and the big skeleton supporting Omega you carefully sneak past the bartender and his bouncer. The sale skeletons lead you outside and through the dark streets, making their way around skillfully while Omega blabbers and sings, or at least tries.  
You come to one of the crooked houses and the saleskeletons lead you inside. You find yourself in what looks like a smuggler den, huge piles of all kinds of good spread around neatly. There's weapons and cutlery, grains and alcohol, whatever you can think of. A table by the side is covered in what looks like cigarettes, but doesn't smell like it.  
"Welcome to our humble home," the small saleskeleton says in a cheery, almost joking manner as he enters, "don't forget to wipe your feet!" You walk through the packed room and upstairs, into a room that's filled with beds. There's at least a dozen, all of them quite big. Tzacl and the big skeleton throw Omega on one of the beds quite carelessly.  
"Choose which ever you want," the slimy skeleton says, gesticulating to the whole room. "If you needed us for any reason, we'll be next door." They both begin to leave, but turn around in the door. "There's some food in the shelf. Sleep tight my friends, we have much to discuss in the morning." With another creepy smile he leaves.  
Tzacl scoffs, lifting his head up proudly, and without a word climbs into the bed next to the one Omega is in. The big skeleton is talking quietly to himself and chuckling at his own jokes, laying on the bed in an uncomfortable looking position. 

Food sounds almost as good as sleep right now, but as Yarnus looks around he doesn't see anything. Tzacl watches the other skeleton in his search before closing his own eyes to rest. Shortly after, a sudden weight dips the mattress beside him. "WHO DARES..." the tall skeleton screeches out before realizing the intruder was Yarnus, who is standing on the bed at his side looking up. "DO YOU HAVE A DEATH WISH? FIRST YOU WANT TO CHALLENGE A GOD. NOW YOU ACCOST ME IN MY SLUMBER? I AM FLATTERED YOU CONSIDER ME ENOUGH OF A THREAT TO ATTACK WHILE I AM..." His rant was cut off by the smaller skeleton jumping up and grabbing at something above their heads.  
"The cans were above your bed." to prove his point Yarnus tossed a random one at Tzacl. "It's not like you were actually asleep. You just laid down a moment ago." The smaller skeleton rummages through their pack and pulls out the can opener. "You've got fire magic, could you warm those up a bit? Oh, peaches... nevermind." Yarnus opens his can and hands the opener over to Tzacl The majority of the slices are eaten before leaving the juice and the rest for Omega when he wakes up.  
Yarnus crawls into bed with Omega and starts to try to readjust him into a more comfortable position. This is better accomplished with a few well places tickles than brute force. Once he was satisfied the big skeleton wouldn't wake up even worse for wear he attempted to slip off to sleep in a bed of his own. Omega suddenly shifted and grabbed Yarnus up into a hug mumbling something incoherent. "Well I guess this is where I'm sleeping tonight. I'm too tired to pry him off." His eyes closed and he sighed in defeat. "At least he doesn't hold on as tightly as you did the other morning." 

Tzacl stares at you, angry from the embarrassment of having mistaken your search for food for an attack . He crooks his eye arches in question when you mention him holding onto you, but stays silent, eventually laying down. The room goes dark with your magic relaxing for the night, just Omegas snoring sounding into the big room. Why do they even have so many beds? Who knows…  
That night you dream about Equinelibria. In your dream she looks like a human, a giant muscular valkyrie with dragon wings and wild eyes. She stands atop the castle, the beacon of light shining into her back making her look even more godlike. She's a cruel warrior and an even cruel-er ruler.


	26. Of Scum

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm so tempted to post a whole mass of chapters, but I'm going to try to space them out more.

You wake up, opening your eyes to stare right at Tzacl. The grumpy skeleton is sitting on his bed with his back to you, slumped over. He seems deep in thought.  
You remain silent, just looking at him, not really meaning to spy, just thinking about him. Tzacl sighs deeply and reaches into his shawl, just resting his hand inside. The shawl moves subtly.  
"I AM JUST WASTING TIME WITH THIS..." he whispers to himself, "BUT MAYBE MOTHER WAS RIGHT. MAYBE I'LL FIND YOU ONLY ONCE I FIND MYSELF. THE STARS KNOW I AM ALREADY GETTING TO KNOW MORE ABOUT MYSELF THAN I EVER DESIRED TO..."  
Then he pulls his hand back out and adjusts the shawl, just sitting there now.  
You give Omega a fleeting glance. He's not snoring anymore, but is whimpering and mumbling something and grimacing from his sleep, as if he's having a nightmare. 

The Leader in his dreams reminded him of a jotun he had the displeasure of working with in the past. Minus the god-like aura of course. If it meant anything. there was a very real chance that this was a suicide mission. Waking up to find Tzacl talking to the thing he was protecting was odd. Yarnus was sure he felt something alive there, but the way he spoke it was someone else he was searching for. For a moment he thought about saying something but the distressed sounds coming from Omega distracted him.  
Yarnus squirmed around to face Omega before trying to wake him up. "Hey big guy. You ready to get up and get some proper liquids into you?" The light from his eyes just being awake would be enough for the tall skeleton to know he was conscious, so there was no way he could try to hide being awake.  
Looking back his eyes met Tzacls. "We should have a talk before we meet with our... benefactors." 

Tzacl ties the knot on his shawl tighter, giving you an unsure hostile look. He's probably not sure if you've heard him talk or not. At your proposition he nods, coming closer.  
"HAS OUR ALCOHOL SPONGE WOKEN UP YET?" As if he heard him Omega opens his eyes, full of pain and regret. He slowly sits up, grabbing onto his head, groaning in pain. You almost tumble off on the ground since you were still on top of him, but manage to land on your feet while Omega leans over forward, holding his head in both arms, grinding his teeth.  
"ooooh shiiiit," he groans, "it feels like there's a swarm of angry bees in my skull... what happened yesterday?"  
"YOU DRANK ALL OF THE MONEY I GAVE YOU, THAT HAPPENED!" Tzacl scolds him in a high angry voice. Omega grabs his skull harder.  
"AAH, JEEZ! can lower the volume please?!" 

Yarnus hisses through his teeth at the angry skeleton. "And he has you to thank for that. He only needed enough for one or two drinks. Not enough to get plastered." He glared at the loud skeleton as he fetched the leftover peaches from last night. "Here Omega, drink this until we can get you some water. I've got good news and bad news for you." He downs the liquid in one gulp and coughs at the unexpected slices. "How are you feeling so far?"  
"just peach-y i guess" Omega chuckles and then clutches his head, "woah, hangovers are no joke."  
"THAT IS JUST WHAT YOU DESERVE FOR ENDANGERING OUR COVER WITH YOUR INEBRIATION!"  
"But that's the good news! You didn't. You were still calling me your son even though you had already hit the floor. The bad news is that the traders were there and already knew us."  
"how's that a bad thing? i think i remember talk'n to them."  
"THOSE CHARLATANS HAD PLANS TO TRICK US INTO KILLING THIS TOWN'S LEADER." This time the tall skeleton had lowered his voice to a growl.  
"I still don't trust them fully, but they say the leader is somehow powering herself with the hub and probably using soul power from the Canimorphs. That's why this area is unstable. I think we should try to find Melon. They might know more about what's going on than the traders do." 

Both skeleton raise a bonebrow in question.  
"melon?" Omega mumbles in thought. He thinks for a while, then his eyes brighten. "oooooh! you mean mellow! that scientist guy who made masheenka." He chuckles, then laughs, "ha! melon! i bet that guy would be mad as fuck if he heard that!" Tzacl doesn't seem as amused.  
"CANIMORPHS? IS THAT WHAT I HAVE CONQUERED?" You just nod. "THE CREATURE INDEED WAS FULL OF MAGIC... THAT WOULD EXPLAIN WHY THE LOCALS WANTED ITS CARCASS SO BAD."  
"i think you're right," Omega says, drinking the last few drops of the peach juice, "we should find that mellow guy. the book said he should live here, i can ask around and-"  
The conversation comes to a screeching halt as the door opens. The small saleskeleton comes in, giving you all the same slimey calm look of his tired eyes. When he sees you silently sitting there, he raises an eye arch, smirking lightly. "It's not very nice to stop talking the moment I come into earshot. Makes a guy think you're talking about him behind his back..." His voice is somehow both joking and lighthearted and dark and threatening. 

"SAYS THE GUY WHO LACKS THE DECENCY TO KNOCK." Tzacl blurts out before Yarnus could say the exact same thing.  
"Unless your name is Mellow, we weren't." Yarnus gives him a genuine smile. As far as he could tell, this merchant probably had similar powers as his own, just that the merchant was in in his natural environment while Yarnus just an outsider. "What was your name again? I think it was something similar, but when we first met I kinda just remember being forcefully pinned against a wall." The small skeleton stepped around the bed and walked up to saleskeleton with a noble salute.  
"Perhaps proper introductions are in order. I am Yarnus, the Great Justiciar of the High Court's, Prince Regent of King Jarl the Mighty." He then drops his hands to his sides and shrugs. "Which means not a bit of nothing around here." 

The sale skeleton gives you a smile that's... somehow both warm and cold? It's hard to really guess what he's thinking.  
"As a businessman, I'm known under many names, none of which are my own. The people closest to me may call me Won." He turns around, gesticulating for you to follow him back downstairs.  
You arrive into the room filled with goods, the big skeleton sitting at the table covered with cigarettes, rolling them neatly despite his fingers looking clumsy. Won invites you to sit down and before you know it everybody is rolling cigarettes. They don't smell like tobbaco, instead having a somewhat pleasant smell, like wild flowers.  
"Have you slept well?" Won asks, looking at Omega in particular. The big skeleton groans lightly, the hangover still visible in his eyes. "Good. We should discuss our plans."  
He puts the map on the centre of the table, between the piles of dried flowers and glue papers. The map is not done too well, leaving a lot of the castle blank.  
"Up here is the throne room and the guest rooms. The upper stories don't hold much of importance to us, it's the underground we have to focus on." He turns the paper around. "The hub is here, only accessible through the main gate and this guard hall here. The main gate is crawling with guards, there's embrasures all around - nobody in their right mind would go through there. But although the guardhall is safer, there's bound to be something dangerous in there, which is why we have you Tzaclkratz, isn't it? Whatever is guarding the doors I'm sure you can put it down easily with your fighting expertise." Tzacl scoffs.  
"FLATTERY, DESPITE HOW TRUE IT IS, WILL NOT GET YOU FAR WITH ME." Won shrugs lightly.  
"Just saying the truth my friend..." Tzacl whips his head away. "Anyway, once we get through the guard hall, we'll still have to get through the prison block. My guess is the prisoners are so close because they're to become sacrifices. How unfortunate for them." The same disgust over his distant and pitiless approach fills you with anger. "The prison will most likely also be full of guards, but no doubt much lesser than the one we'd meet at the main gate. All we have to do is get into the throne room, which is open to public, and then sneak out into the lower chambers. The less attention we attract the better, obviously."  
Looking at Omega who still looks barely conscious, he decides to recap the plan step by step.  
Get into the throne room during visiting hours - sneak downstairs - make it to the guardhall - defeat the guard - make it through the prison - find the hub - cut the power.  
"Now, that doesn't sound that hard, does it?" Won asks again, finishing his last cigarette. He looks over your faces, giving you time to consider. 

"That sounds like a solid plan... if every guard was as inept as the one at the front gate. I doubt the leader wouldn't keep her best near her throne. They'd probably spot Tzaclkratz and haul all three of us down to the prison without batting an eye." He pulls the map closer to himself and studies it. "Omega and I could walk in and visit the throne room without any suspicion, but to get Tzacl inside we would need a different method." Yarnus taps his fingers together in a similar way as Won, "Tell me. What sort of crimes would land a person in the castle jail? A jail break could be a perfect distraction. Especially if it's started from within by someone they believe has no powers left in him." 

Won smiles, mirroring your hand gestures. "Who are you suggesting?" 

"We found Tzacl bound by some sort of wooden pillory that blocks magic. We could make a fake version. One that is mundane and he can get out of by his own means. They won't bother changing it if he appears to be too weak to need further restraints or he threatens to attack as soon as it is removed." Yarnus raises his brows at Tzacl to see if he'd be willing to act as bait. "Omega taught me how to store magic, if done excessively, you'll feel nearly drained at first but will be able to pull your magic back when you need it." 

Tzacl grabs at his own neck, probably unintentionally. His eyes are filled with genuine fear which he quickly masks with anger.  
"N-NO WAY! I AM NOT RISKING MY LIFE WITH YOUR STUPID PLAN! I REFUSE TO PUT MYSELF IN THAT KIND OF DANGER!"  
Omega, who so far just stared at the map while everybody else was talking, suddenly lift his head.  
"well, how bout tzacl doesn't go with us then?" Won looks at him with obvious low regard to his intelligence.  
"We need him to fight in the guard hall, without him we-"  
"no, like, he can meet us there." Everybody just stares at Omega questioningly. The big skeleton grabs the piece of paper and points to the lines surrounding the castle.  
"tzacl is pretty slim n nimble, he can sneak in through the water tunnel. see? here, if he jumps in the moat, he can swim inside through this lill openin n sneak in through the dock." He points around the map. Just under the main entrance, the moat reaches under the castle into a big room. "or at least i think that's a dock... kindas hard to make out."  
Won smiles widely. "ah, yes, of course! the moat used to be connected to the river and the dock was used for boats that transported the goods from the caves. Nowadays it's unused, probably boarded up, but it should still be there! I'm sure with your attacks you should be able to break a few metal bars and doors, wouldn't you?"  
Tzacl stares at the map, contemplating. He seems a little unsure, but eventually nods.  
"SOUNDS MUCH BETTER THAN BEING LED IN IN CHAINS. I AM MORE THAN CAPABLE TO SNEAK AROUND, ESPECIALLY WITHOUT ANY DUMB NOISY COMPANIONS."  
"hope yer a good swimmer then!" Omega pats the grumpy skeleton on the back.  
"FOR YOUR INFORMATION - I AM A GREAT SWIMMER!" he yells at him as if he somehow said he doubted him. Omega grabs his head again, whining painfully. 

"I wouldn't have suggested it if I thought it would hurt you, but yeah Omegas idea does sound better if we want to keep quiet." Yarnus looks apologetically at Tzacl while he pats Omegas arm comfortingly. "Omega and I can enter through the throne room. If anyone asks about his 'wife' the story can be that she wasn't feeling well, that's why she was wearing the parka yesterday. I can keep up the cute act. Tell them I want to be a guard when I grow up." He giggles at that thought. "Bored guards would love to show off to a kid. That alone could get us far enough in to meet up with Tzacl." 

"Excellent!" Won says, rubbing his shitty little hands like a fly. "Then we shouldn't waste any time! Zero, bring me my armour vest. And give the big man something to help him with that hangover." The big skeleton nods without a word, getting up. Tzacl gets up too, checking his armour and snapping his fingers, tiny sparks of his magic flying off of them. He smiles with satisfaction before reproachfully putting Omegas parka back on.  
Zero comes back, giving Omega a cup of some foul smelling beverage. The big skeleton doesn't seem too thrilled to drink it, but with his head hurting as if it was full of glass shards he decides it's worth the try, clogging his noseholes before downing the cup in one huge gulp. He seems a little nauseous, the small saleskeleton assuring him it will pass soon.  
You yourself also check your equipment. Your rope, two hammers, the cuirass and your sword are at the ready, as well as four more cans of food - but you may pack more since there's still plenty space left in your bag. 

"I took you for the kind that didn't do things yourself. I'm surprised you're coming with us," he said as Won donned his vest. Yarnus was more than surprised, he was a little bit worried. When he had addressed himself as a prince regent a thought had crossed his mind. These people would need a leader after this. Yarnus could claim the throne for King Jarl and become Regent here. Perhaps choose a proper leader to make this place better.  
The strange thing was that notion was something Yarnus had never wanted to do before. Was he picking up some trace of emotion from his brief link to Won. While the sleazy trader seemed to be a natural leader, Yarnus doubted he would be a very good leader.  
"Where's your head at kid?" His voice was like poisoned honey when he got the attention of the smaller skeleton.  
"Just going through scenarios." It wasn't a lie. "Do you have any ranged weapons I could use? Hammers aren't exactly made for combat."  
"You're right. With Tzacl gone, you're pretty much defenseless... little prince. Lemme go see if I can find something." With the trader gone he ran towards Omega as the large skeleton was trying to retrieve his parka. "i seen the streets round here. all dat crud is gunna be in the moat n i don wanna reek o' it. so gimme."  
Yarnus ducked under the spat between Tzacl and Omega so that Zero wouldn't be able to hear or see. "Omega!" he hissed in a whisper, "Won can read minds and I think he's up to something. Just keep an eye out around him." Before Omega could even respond Won came back into the room and noticed the quick departure of the small skeleton. "Tzacl! You need to find another disguise. If someone sees a blue parka in the moat they'll get suspicious of us wandering around without you." Ah, that's where the spunky little skeleton went off to. 

Won hands Tzacl a coat made of straws and dry grass, the tall skeleton looking over it unsurely. "It just needs to keep you hidden until you disappear in the dirty moat water, right?" Won says, shrugging, and Tzacl grunts, putting the coat on. He looks sort of like a japanese warrior you saw in a picture book back home.  
Won approaches you, only to grab your hand. Even without fully meaning to you pull back, getting out of his hold, but he doesn't seem to mind, just gesturing you to follow. Unsurely, you obliged.  
Won leads you into a room filled with weaponry, although most of it looks rather shoddy. He directs you towards a rack with ranged weapons, some look familiar like the bows and crossbows and flintlocks, other look strange and overly complicated. One of them just looks like a huge metal tube. How strange.  
"Take your picks, little monarch," he whispers as he begins to leave. 

"Monarch? Tch…" he said under his breath as Won walked off. The concept of inheriting a position of power was foreign, but not unheard of. Leaders aren't born, they're made. Either on their own accord...or not.  
After quietly stewing for a moment, Yarnus looked around the menagerie of weapons. The majority were oversized, better suited to the denizens of the town than for a petite skeleton such as himself. What he needed was something small and concealable. Even if the guards thought he was too little to cause harm, they would probably take his sword.  
Near the flintlocks one pouch stuck out among the bags of ammo. Unwrapping the length of cording binding the pouch he recognized it as a sling. The attached pouch contained a variety of shaped bullets. "Zingers and…" a wide smile crossed his face as he held up an oddly shaped drilled stone, "...Singers. Perfect!" This particular bullet wasn't made to be lethal, but rather would make an odd noise when thrown.  
He shoved most of the sling into the pouch to make it less noticeable and tied it to his belt. While the sling was just the type of weapon to sneak in, it wouldn't hurt to look around some more. Won had quite the selection of weapons and Yarnus hoped that most were found while scrounging around in the void like the sword.  
Something else out of place caught his eye. A pair of gold tube-like bracelets? To Yarnus they were closer to being bracers but still thin enough to not slide around on his forearm much. Examining one closer he noticed it was ringed with buttons, curious he pressed one and a dart shot out and impaled itself in the wall. A slight chemical smell came from it, probably poison of some sort. He hoped he wouldn’t have find out what kind of poison it was as he donned the dart bracers and rejoined the other in the main room. 

The bracelets look very fancy yet, somehow empty. Looking at them more closely you see various slots and spots where it looks like something is missing, perhaps more ammo? Even the gadget that is present, the darts, don't seem complete. When you find out how to open the ammo reservoirs you find four slots in each, but there's only two in the left one and one in the right one. Too bad there isn't more, but it's better than nothing.  
You should be set now you think to yourself, coming back into the room. You find the rest of your fellow skeletons doing last prepares, TzaclKratz fixing his straw cape, Omega happily snuggled up in his parka, Won and Zero standing by the door. Won's eyes watch you with that calm sleazy smile, as if he knew something you didn't. You don't trust him further than you can throw him, that's for sure.  
"Are we all ready now?" Won asks, raising his eyearches and putting his hand on the knob. Tzacl doesn't bother to answer, Omega nods and looks at you with a big positive smile plastered over his face. 

Yarnus didn't mind the low amount of ammo in the bracers. Not knowing what type of effect they had on others didn't sit well with him. The sling was a better suited to him. He was able to summon bone bullets instead of bones like Tzacl, but his magic control was terrible. The sling would help in that department.  
Omegas smile helped lessen the fear inside him as he turned to Won. "I guess we are as ready as we are going to be." 

Won nods, opening the door.  
It's still dark outside and Won urges you to hurry before the light comes on. Walking briskly but not too fast as to cause noise or suspicion you make it to the castle. The walls around the moat are quite high and for a second you doubt if Tzacl will be able to get inside.  
"Here it is," Won says, "can you make your way over?" Tzacl just smirks with self confidence.  
"AH PLEASE, THIS WALL IS NO MATCH FOR TZACLKRATZ!" You watch in awe as Tzacl leaps against the wall only to bounce onto the house next to it, climbing up the wall in such a show off manner, making flips and other tricks until he's up on the edge.  
"I'LL SEE YOU INSIDE," he says, waving the map of the castle. Then he disappears.  
"well that's-" Omega is interrupted by a splash from the other side, grinning, "done." Won nods, standing next to his still silent co-saleskeleton.  
"The light should come on any minute now. Let's go to the castle entrance now. The plan is in motion..." he taps his fingers together harder.  



	27. Dark Descent

You, Omega, Zero and Won step out on your way to the castle entrance, this time walking slowly and leisurely. Just before you reach it the bells sound out into the city and seconds after the light comes on.  
You're standing in front of the giant gate, a sleepy looking guard standing by with a huge spear, just like the one at the main city gate. All four of you have to wait for the throne room to be opened, so you spend your time observing the guard.  
Truly, none of these folk look like good soldiers. They're big and brute, but they don't seem particularly conscientious or loyal. They also seem strange in a way that you can't put your finger on... their magic is not exceptionally bright like yours or Omegas.  
Your eyes go wide when the guard pulls his shirt up to wipe his face, pulling up his armor as well. His belly is... covered, and it's not ectoflesh. It seems like they aren't actually skeletons???  
The guard notices you staring, giving you a grumpy look, and you quickly look away. Oh shit, too late, he's coming over.  
"Act natural~" Won says as the guard approaches. Won and Zero look absolutely calm, but the same could not be said for Omega. He begins to sweat, looking as guilty as a guy can get.  
The guard approaches, but instead of Omega he looks at you. "Oi, yer allr urp early. Yer wannra see thre throne room so bard littlre boyr?"  
You can hardly even understand what he's saying to you through his accent, but you see the actually sort of sweet smile on his face as he's looking down at you. 

The thick accent is a bit hard to follow, but not terribly different from some back home. Yarnus rocks back and forth on his heels as he feigns excitement. "Ah am, ah cannae way!" He motions to Omega, "Woke me da jis a tad earl."  
The guard shoots Omega a sympathetic look. "Oi ye got yerself ah livewire here." This relaxed the situation a bit. Still unsure if the guard understands his jargon, Yarnus spreads his arms out wide to go along with his question, "Idit tru dat loaby mense?" 

"Sure irs," the guard nods his head, "yer'll see littlre boyr." He looks around, as if checking that noone can see. "Howr brout I lowrer the bridrge for yer jurst a littlre birt earley?"  
You just give him a sweet little smile.  
The guard walks over and yells something into a visor by the gate. He and some other fella on the other side exchange some illegible dialogue before the guard asks you to stand back. The enormous bridge begins to lower just as both the inner and outer gate begin to open. Soon the way is free.  
You put on some more of your sweet excited act as Omega puts you up on his shoulders and thanks the guard for appeasing to you. The guard actually seems like a generally sweet guy. Maybe not all of the folk in this town are just big assholes.  
You walk over the wooden gate bridge, over the moat and to the castle. The courtyard is just as dirty as the rest of the town. A few unfortunate criminals are tied up on public display, which makes both you and Omega very uneasy.  
You make it to the enormous castle door, at least four times as tall as you are when on Omegas shoulders. Another, grumpier looking guy opens the smaller door for you after Zero throws him some money. The guard offers you to throw stones at the prisoners, but all of you unanimously decline.  
You walk inside the caste and both you and Omega stop in awe.  
The throne room is enormous. It's a grand giant hall decorated red and gold, with giant paintings on the walls and stained glass in every window. You notice they depict the Canimorphs in various shapes, as well as unicorns and dragons. The floor is one huge mosaic, a beautiful image of the grasslands, sadly partially obscured by the dirt.  
The door behind you closes and you're left in the giant room with only two guards standing by the throne, in the very back of the room. It's one huge chair for sure, big enough for all four of you and Tzacl to sit on.  
You're finally snapped out of your awe as Won tugs at Omega, looking up at you.  
"Nice going 'littlre boyr'. This is going better than I ever imagined!" he whispers so that the guards on the other side of the room don't hear. 

The compliment leaves Yarnus with a conflicted feeling. He could lie for the greater good, but was he really sure that he was on the right side of this conflict. Won had his own reasons and was obviously not wanting to share the details. The Canimorphs, Maiden, Snork, and their people had suffered at the hands of the people he might just be helping right now. During all this contemplating Yarnus was snuggling against the side of Omegas skull.  
"so what's the plan little man?"  
"I think we should look around, play tourist. I wouldn't mind learning more about this place. How about we start over there." Yarnus pointed in the direction of a stained glass depicting a dragon. "I'm sure Won will let us know when the time is right to move along. Being here early might draw more attention than he wants." 

The huge stained glass is really quite beautiful, only ruined by the outline of the outside crooked ugly city. The dragon depicted is an enormous skeletal creature hovering over the castle. The beacon of light is going through its chest.  
Suddenly you hear a bit of yelling, then two loud thuds from the other side of the throne room. You look over, seeing Won rubbing his hands together as Zero props both guards up against the sides of the throne. They seem unconscious, or so you hope.  
"Excellent! Now, let's get out of here before anybody notices..." He looks over to you, gesturing you to come closer while Zero uncovers a door behind one of the giant banners, unlocking it with a key he snatched from the guards. Omega quickly jogs to them, setting you down on the ground.  
"Come now, no time to spare, yes?" 

Yarnus looks back to check on the fallen guards. With everyone's souls being so muted he can't tell what their status is. Not wanting to be left behind he follows Zero and Won's lead through the passageway towards the guards chambers.  
Won's original plans were to have Tzacl fight a certain someone he knew would be down here. That someone would probably react badly to seeing two large persons following the lead of Won's most likely recognized face. Yarnus gave Omegas hand a quick squeeze and made a brash decision to try to run ahead of the other two. Perhaps if he were seen first there would be less of a reaction. 

You walk down a set of stairs, then suddenly the space opens into a huge room. You're still pretty high, the stairs not leading around the wall, then down to level with the floor. From up here you can see that this looks like a sort of small armory, with racks of weapons and armour as well as a few beds and dressers in the corner. On the back of the room is a huge doorway, blocked by a metal gate.  
"We have to get through there to reach the docks, first," Won points to the gate as you walk down to the floor. "We'll just have to find the key to the-"  
"HARLT! WHO GOERS THRERE?!"  
All four of you jumps to your feet, Zero pulling out a huge flail fearlessly. Won gives him an angry mad look, but doesn't say anything for the sake of the situation.  
From a small door that wasn't visible from the stairs rush out two armoured guards. One wields a sledgehammer, the other a broadsword.  
"Yer carn't be here, thart's tresspassirng!"  
"He's wierlding a wearpon!" Won rubs his temples.  
"Great job Zero, way to ruin our chances for a swindle..."  
The guards attack.  
As you expected, they pay you no mind, thinking of you as a child. They do however attack Omega, who's unarmed and doesn't look very fit to fight a trained enemy. 

Taking advantage of their distraction Yarnus ducks to the side. He's sure that Omega is tough enough to handle the hammer wielding guard for a moment, but it's the one with the broadsword that could do the most damage. The small skeleton bolts across the room while untangling the sling from his belt. Turning around he's glad to see that Zero has charged at the one with the sword. Won is ducking and circling behind the guards, probably with a knife is his hand. The large hammer is unwieldy enough that Omega is able to dodge and seems to be trying to talk his way out of the fight. "hey now. i ain't got a weapon."  
Yarnus loads three 'zingers' in one hand and prepares to hit the swordsman on the back of his skull. It makes sense to knock out the most dangerous first, but as Yarnus winds up he hears Omega say, "look I'm just down here chasing my kid. he want's to be a guard." He points to Yarnus, and in a trusting moment the guard turns to look.  
The guard barely had time to register the threat before a stone was flung with full force, aimed directly between his eyes. 

Bullseye! The guard's head is flung backwards and he immediately falls to the ground, knocked out. The broadsword wielding enemy turns around and his wild eyes fixate on you.  
"YER LITTLRE BRAT!" he yells and turns around to attack you, swinging his sword over his head, but in his anger doesn't pay enough attention to his other fighters. Zero swings the huge flail and hits his right in the back, knocking him down, struggling to breathe. Won steps on his injured back, making the guard groan breathlessly in pain, before he delivers a hard kick to the back of his head, knocking him out also.  
"Well, that was easy," he shrugs, dusting off his vest, "didn't even need to kill them..."  
As Zero and Won search the guards and tie them up, you notice Omega is not looking so great. When he notices you staring he quickly smiles reassuringly, lifting his hands, as if to tell you 'don't worry'. You worry anyway.  
The gate is opened and you another, even bigger room. The light from outside comes in only from the dancing reflection of the water surface. A body torn to shreds is pinned to the wall with a whole array of bones. Omega stops and stays behind while you and the saleskeletons look around for Tzacl.  
"TOOK YOU LONG ENOUGH!" the tall skeleton emerges from the shadows like a phantom. He really is amazing at hiding. "NOW LET'S GET ON WITH IT! BEFORE SOMEBODY FINDS OUR HANDYWORK AND ALERTS THE WHOLE ARMADA..."  
Tzacl with Zero and Won quickly begin to beat down the boarded up door to the guardroom, giving you a moment of time. Omega is sitting on the edge of the water nudging an old torn boat with his foot. He doesn't look too happy. 

"I'm surprised you agreed to go along with this." Yarnus sat down next to Omega. "Won basically said we'd have to kill this leader person to get to the hub. I hope there's another way, I really do." Almost under his breath he added, "I'm afraid to kill again."  
Omega turned to him with an unreadable expression but Yarnus wasn't even looking at the larger skeleton. Instead he was looking at his own hands. "Omega, I... I've taken lives before. Humans... and monsters. Always with the mindset that it was for the greater good. But still..." He paused and looked up to face his friend. "I'm always afraid that I'll go to far... that... that I'll lose myself. I've felt it here... with you." The puzzled look on Omega's face was interrupted. "I almost killed Perlo, if he wasn't able to bring you back I probably would have. Just now, I might not have been able to hold back if those guards had hurt you."  
Yarnus stood, but was still only eye to eye to the larger skeleton. "I guess what I'm trying to say is, I want to protect you. I want to do what's best for everyone, but it might not be something you want to see. You might not like me when you know what I'm capable of." He rests his hand on the others shoulder waiting for a response. 

Omega looks at you sadly, then down into the water. You can see him looking at your wavy reflexion. "i didn't really wanna go with this but... you did so i figured i can trust ya. that's not to say i was wrong just- y-ya know, i probably never would've went into this on my own." He sighs. "i was kinda thinkin, maybe, we could just quickly use the hub and get outta here, so we don't gotta get even more tangled in all this political shit. they say this kumquat lady or whatever her name is is evil but - we never even heard about her or saw her before... can we really trust these guys?"  
You take a moment to think, but before you can answer a loud splash interrupts you.  
"Stop making more rucus you idiot! Do you want them to catch us?!"  
"TZACL IS NO IDIOT! HOW DARE YOU INSULT ME SO!?!"  
Omega gives you a half smile, getting up and patting you on the back in his usual soft and affectionate manner.  
"lets go. i promies do get ya home my lill homie." He winks. "that takes priority."  
Then he comes over to calm the arguing skeletons and soon you're on your way.  
you walk through a tight stairway, Zero and Omega almost not even able to fit though. Finally you make it to another door, luckily one that is locked with a very simple padlock, which Omega kicks out with ease.  
You find yourself in a long dark hallway, between a crossroad and a huge illuminated entrance. Above the entrance is a wooden board with a single word burned into it in huge black letters.  
Barracks.  
Won freezes up, staring at the sign. He then reaches up without even looking, grabbing Zero to pull him down to his level.  
"What is this?" he says in a slow furious whisper. "This does not look like the guard room. Care to explain?"  
Zero looks afraid, his eyes looking away, little specks of dark orange sweat forming on his scalp. He opens his mouth, a feat you thought to be impossible given his crooked teeth, but doesn't get to say a word when voices echo down the corridor.  
A small group of soldiers, the same huge brutes armed with enormous weapons, are coming in from the hallway. They're preoccupied talking to one another about stars know what, giving you just enough time to back off into the tight hallway. All of you stay absolutely silent, not even breathing, as they pass by and into the barracks.  
For a few seconds everything goes quiet. The tight room gets illuminated by Tzacls red irises flaming up furiously, but Omega grabs him in a huge bear hug before he can start yelling, talking for him in a hushed but angry voice.  
"what the hell?! why lead us to the barracks - it's gunn be crawlin with soldiers here!"  
"Ask my good for nothing companion!" Won says back angrily, "he said he knows where to go!" Omega sighs, still holding Tzacl tightly in his arms.  
"look- whatever, just- et us to the hub already!" he says, both anger but also fear apparent in his voice. Zero nods, carefully looking out again.  
Won looks out too, his face lighting up. "There's a sign that point to the guard room! Maybe we'd be able to sneak our way around..."  
Omega finally lets go off of Tzacl who pushes him away with anger, Omegas butt pressing you into the wall unintentionally.  
" GAH, YOU IDIOTS! " he says, trying his best to keep his voice down.  
"No time for insults, lets go before-"  
The voices return, the group of soldiers coming back out again, laughing rambunctiously. All of you cram back into the tight room, waiting for them to pass. Finally, Won pokes his head out again, looking pissed beyond belief.  
"Okay, now let's go." 

The group makes it's way down the hallway without further interruptions. Yarnus is quiet and lost in thought for the most part. Yarnus didn't want to be here. Omega didn't want to be here. Heck even Tzacl didn't want to be here, but here they all were. Like puppets on Won's strings. If he couldn't read minds he was at least extremely manipulative. Whether he had convinced all of them to come along, or the other two were following Yarnus's lead it didn't matter. As far as he was concerned if anything happened to any on them it would be on his conscience.  
His contemplative moment was broken as he walked in to Omega's rear. 

Here it was. A giant room, lined with columns and metal gates by the sides big enough for Masheenka to ride through. On the other end is a much smaller, but still big gate, made from exceptionally strong metal rods.  
It's silent, illuminated only by small lanterns hanging from the columns. It seems sinister.  
For a second you're all silent, just standing at the door, not daring to move. The impenetrable darkness behind the bars makes it all the worse. You don't think there's any fun to be had here.  
Finally Won slowly begins to move forward, followed by Zero. Both look anxious, which you aren't used to seeing, especially not on the small skeleton who's always so sleazy and sure of himself. You slowly make your way across the enormous hall, looking around, just waiting for something to jump out...  
You're at about half the room, when you spot something behind one of the gates. An orb of bright green light shines at you, motionless-  
then suddenly loud furious barking crushes the silence, accompanied by the loud bang on the gate.  
The whole group is immediately on their toes. Won grabs his shoulders, protecting his chest, Zero draws his weapon threateningly, Tzacl takes a wide stance to prepare to dodge and fight and Omega grabs onto you, screaming in a high voice in startlement.  
Huge claws scratch at the metal bars, the creature behind them aggressively ramming its head into the only thing keeping it and you apart. It's absolutely mad with fury and hate, its only eye bright and wild.  
All the other gates suddenly come to life, at least a dozen of those huge creatures, each a different colour and shape, start beating against the bars, howling, barking, growling and screeching. The previously soundless room is filled with screams and noise, reminding you of your first encounter with Violets sons. Before you even realize it Won and Zero are already making a dash for the door on the other side.  
Zero beats against it with his flail, but the gate is incredibly well built and doesn't even dent. Won pushes his companion away and starts to quickly unlock the door with a lock pick, panicked, but still precise.  
He's not nearly done when the first gate breaks and an enormous bony feline with burning orange eyes starts running right towards you.  
Omega seems petrified, but from the corner of your eye you can see Tzacl is ready to Tango. 

Yarnus grabs onto Omegas parka and tries to pull him towards the door that Won is working on. "Don't kill it!" he yells to Tzacl, "Keep it off us until we can get out! No one will be able to follow us." Hopefully that was heard over the cacophony coming from the other holding cells and also sunk into the skull of the over eager skeleton.  
As seedy as the tradeskeleton was, Yarnus had not doubt the exit would be open soon. However if one holding cell had broken, there's no promise another one wouldn't break if Tzacl succeeded in killing the canimorph.  
Turning around Yarnus was glad to see a wall of bone between them and the feisty feline. Suddenly an idea crossed his mind. It probably wouldn't work, but it shouldn't hurt to try. He fished out one of the holey pebbles from the sling pouch and started swinging it around his head. It was just fast enough to make a small whirring sound for a moment before he speed up and released it in an arc over the bone wall. The 'singer' chirped through the air and landed with a plink on the far side of the room. 

The feline gets distracted, for just a moment, but it's enough. You watch in horror, the words not going through your throat fast enough as Tzacl suddenly dashes and impales the creature with an enormous bone spear, using it as a prop to fling himself up. The creature's eyes shine brighter and it literally explodes into a cloud of dust and magic residue. There's something terribly wrong with these beasts.  
Another gate flies off its hinges and a more canine creature with carmine eyes pushes through. Tzacl skillfully lands on the gate as it's still airborne and immediately attacks the creature. Although you're desperate to beat into his skull not to kill them, you are also kind of mesmerized by his incredible fighting skill.  
To your side the ruckus of the broken metal snaps you back into full attention, a purple eyed beast going for the kill from the left. Just as you're getting ready to retaliate, the screeching of metal alerts your from the right side, a brown eyed one breaking the bars apart. It lunges with even more fury and speed and it's only Omegas hands grabbing onto its open jaw that keep you and death apart. Instead of helping, Zero is standing close by Won, seemingly only ready to protect him and himself. The big skeleton strains with effort, pushing back against the creature at least three times its size, while the purple eyed one from the left side is already almost upon you. 

There's no way a tiny sword would disable the beast and no poison dart could react fast enough to stop the beast in time. There was only one option. Yarnus tried to make eye contact with the beast, hoping he could somehow connect. But failing that he was prepared to press further. He moved all of his magic to his eyes, all the magic that was in his small ectobelly and nearly everything in his bones. His irises narrowed and it felt as if his eyes themselves were about to explode. In a way they did. A magnificent flash filling the room temporarily blinded any that had been looking in his direction. The brown eyed beast Omega was holding reeled backwards and was met with a quick death thanks to Tzacl who hadn't turned around yet when the flash went off. Omega turned around to see Yarnus lying motionless on the floor covered with a thick layer of dust.  
"no, no, no, buddy, no"  
He rolled the small skeleton over. His sockets were pitch black and somehow even felt empty. Like he was as light as a feather. Slowly his head started to move and one hand reached out, searching for the source of Omega's voice. Once it made contact with his skull it explored the contours and traced over his teeth.  
"O...Omega...?...Are we...safe?..." It dawned on the large skeleton pretty quickly. Yarnus was blind. 

"alright, it's okay, we're alright, we'll make this, don't panic, don't panic-"  
You hear another roar somewhere above you and Omega is torn away from your reach, leaving you lying on the ground.  
You're stranded in the darkness. But you're far from blind.  
The noises reaching your skull let you know a lot of things about the room, so does your touch. You can feel the shaking of the ground, including the sound of Omega grunting, one sharp punch after another as another creature whimpers with each hit. You can hear Tzaclkratz laughing and taunting the beasts, his form swooshing through the air with ease, jumping easily all around the room and landing attack after attack until-  
ouch, that sounded painful. You can't be sure how but something just knocked him down. His boastful screaming turns into furious screaming, soon accompanied by the sound of more attacks being chugged, hitting the walls as well as the creatures. Another two magic booms let you know how well he's hit his mark.  
"Tzacl!!!" you hear Omegas distressed yell.  
"HANG ON!" A loud snap followed by another dusty boom. You even hear Omega exhale.  
A different, much more important sound catches your skull. The click of the lock behind you.  
Despite not having sight you turn around hearing the two saleskeletons haste out of the room.  
"HEY!" you hear Omega, scrambling to his feet and running right by you. You hear a loud rattle of the metal gate. "WHAT GIVES? OPEN UP!" Despite the noise of Tzacl still fighting behind you you hear that goddamn shit eating, cock sucking mother fucking little laugh of his.  
"I think not." Their fast footsteps disappearing beyond the reach of your skull tell you they've left already.  
"YOU CAN'T JUST LEAVE US HERE!" Omega yells after him, trying to sound angry but ending up sounding desperate and scared. "COME BACK HERE!"  
You snap back to attention, feeling something approaching. You can't see, turning around to feel its breath in your face. Your soul freezes with terror. But the creature doesn't attack.  
You hear Omega from behind gasp and run towards you. "GET AWAY FROM HIM!" he yells, stepping over you and punching the creature to make it back off. More sound of fighting spreads all around you, then even more ruckus comes from the entrance. You can hear voices of the soldiers, some of which get attacked by the creatures. You just listen helplessly as they beat the already exhausted Tzacl to the ground, then one approaches you, your arms raising to cover your head instinctively. Instead you're grabbed by your wrist and harshly brought on your feet.  
"DON'T HURT HIM HE'S BLIND!" you hear Omega from the ground where they've most likely knocked him. You're handled recklessly, then feel your wrists getting caught. Your magic comes to a screeching halt throughout your body, leaving you fatigued and languid.  
"Tarke therm to the prisorn!" an order sounds. Soon you're being led away.  
You can't hear your friends. You're just pushed forward, your hands held forward after the tugging of the magic pillory.  
Despite the heavy situation you... feel something still beating within you. It's not your magic, yours is absolutely halted. It's just... sømetħing familiⱥr.  
Finally they stop you, pretty much throwing you forward into what you presume to be a cell. The gate clanged behind you as you try to get up from the filthy floor. For some reason they didn't even bother taking your things away. Well, with your wrists held like this and without magic, there really isn't much you can do.  
You feel Omegas hands on you, helping you up. His voice is broken and silent, "are you okay yarnus?"  



	28. Familiar Scenes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Art of the crew in the Chapter Notes. Been saving it till now since it has a bit of a spoiler in it.  
> If you followed my Three-Bitty-Moon Tumblr you would have already seen the first scene of this chapter.  
> https://three-bitty-moon.tumblr.com/post/152467758019/bitties-are-so-helpful-when-you-rp-xylitol-is
> 
> Yarnus has his own blog! https://yarnusthegreat.tumblr.com/ I post things related to the story or to him on it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a lot of strange characters in the next few chapters. If I need to I'll go back and 'translate' if anyone wants me to.

Okay would definitely not be a word to describe any of this. Yarnus shakes his head from side to side, unable to even open his mouth at this time.  
"are ya hurt? did they do anything..."  
Yarnus interrupts him by slamming his body towards the familiar voice. He takes a deep breath filled with the scents of both Omega and a trace of Tzacl coming from the parka. It's just too much to handle and his body begins to shake.  
"I-I-I'm s-sorry s-so sorry this is all m-my f-fault I'm hor-horrible I'm terrible I-I misjudged an-and you tr-trusted me... Tzacl trusted me... I fa-failed you and I f-failed him and-and I ruined every-thing. They gunna kill the leader and ruin this place. He lied... he lied and I didn't see it... he lied... and I believed him. I want'd to make things better and he used me... he used us... he l i e d **h e l i e d**  
The hysterical sobbing rant began to take on a sinister feel.  
" h e **L I E D, H E I S F O R F I T. I W I L L K I L L H I M, I W I L L K I L L W O N** H e... he... he used me. " Yarnus seemed to have tired himself out and slumped onto Omega. 

Omega doesn't answer, just gently lays his arms over you, hugging you the best he can. He gently rubs his thumb over you, holding you close. It's silent, for what seems like ages.  
"ƚĩⱦⱦƚɇ øȵɇ..."  
You open your eyes, despite your sight still being gone. It's silent still, as if nobody else heard, then the voice echoes again, in the inside of your skull.  
"ƚĩⱦⱦƚɇ øȵɇ... ȡø ɏøƱ ℞ɇℳƀɇ℞ ℳɇ?" You begin to see, no, feel the image in your head, the big blue eyes in the darkness of the Void. "Ĩ ȿɇɇ ȵøϢ, ĩⱦ ĩȿ ℳɏ ⱦĩℳɇ ⱦø ƥⱥɏ ℳɏ ℱⱥɍɇ..."  
You feel a surge of magic in your skull, gently seeping into your eyesockets. It stings for just a second, then, the lights come on again. You can see again, your body filling with new life. Your previous fatigue is gone, even if you still cannot use your magic because of the chains.  
"ɏøƱ ħⱥⱴɇ ƀɇɇȵ ⱥȵ ĩȵȼɍɇȡĩƀƚɇ ⱥȡⱴɇȵⱦƱ℞ɇ, ƚĩⱦⱦƚɇ øȵɇ... ⱦħⱥȵꝁ ɏøƱ."  
Then, the voice disappears...  
You find yourself staring up, your eyes still wet with tears, but despite your previous outburst you're too confused and dazed by the sudden magic imput you just stare up.  
Omega is holding onto you lightly, his eyes closed, big blue tears slowly rolling down the line of his jaw. The cell you're in is dark and damp and very dirty, with two hard wooden beds suspended by chains on either side. On the left is you and Omega, on the right is Tzacl. His head is down as he sits there, silent and motionless.  
Before you can finally say something, Tzacl speaks.  
"I KNEW IT WOULD END LIKE THIS... BUT IT DOESN'T MATTER. THIS WORLD IS DOOMED. SO IS MINE. SO IS YOURS. SO WILL YOURS BE TOO, ONE DAY, IF IT ALREADY ISN'T. BUT WORST OF ALL... IT IS ME WHO IS DOOMED. IT'S BEEN SO LONG, A JOURNEY BEYOND YOUR IMAGINATION. I CANNOT FIND HIM. I WILL NEVER FIND HIM. I CANNOT KEEP UP EVEN A SINGLE PROMISE..." 

Yarnus didn't really pay much attention to Tzacl's monologue in favor of looking around with his returned sight. Normally he'd require a good solid rest to recharge, so this was at least a tiny bit of a positive sign. "HoϢ oƌd... I can sȩé agäin."  
Omega opened his eyes and looked down at Yarnus with a look of confusion, "you... your eyes..."  
"Yêaℏ, anȡ I fɇeƚ okáỿ nōϢ."  
"HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?"  
Yarnus turned to face Tzacl. Unknown to himself, his eyes were now the same blue as the one that had been under the tree and in his head. "I ȡⓞn't kȵoⱳ, sôṃeℏów his ℳⱥǥḭƈ diȡ iȶ." 

"m-magic? what magic? whose magic?" Omega is very confused, but also very happy that you're okay.  
You explain that it looks like the guy you met under the spine tree had hitched a ride with you, probably out of boredom. They were kind enough to help you out, sacrificing their own link to you. When you're done explaining, Omega hugs you closer.  
"i'm so glad you're okay!" He hugs you for a moment, then slowly withdraws. "tho, ya know, i guess it doesn't change all that much ey? heheh..." His smile slowly sinks, his head hanging down. "what are we going to do?" he whispers pitifully.  
You think. You are much calmer now, if because of part of the being is now within you or just because you can once again see and are recharged, you aren't sure. You're also filled with knowledge, but very vague knowledge, that doesn’t yield itself to you easily.  
You do know that whatever Won is going for, it's gonna be bad. He's a power hungry selfish criminal and you haven't been the first to be sacrificed by him for his own gain. You are filled with rage, but instead of letting it consume you like before you remain calm, thinking... but there's nothing much you can think of.  
The cuffs are way too strong, especially since they block your magic. Even omega, who would usually be more than able to break this piece of enchanted wood, can't do nothing without his enormous magic supply boosting his strength. You cannot use your magic or your tools with your hands tied. Besides, you don't have anything that would open a lock, and you can't pick them anyway. All three of you are too weak to break them apart with a tool, too.  
But you know there is a way. Maybe you or Omega don't have any more aces up your sleeves.  
But he does. A whole shawl. He must have something useful hidden in there. He must. You just knøw.  
Tzacl has lifted his head, looking at you curiously. His look is still very bleak and stern as always, but you can see the colour of your eyes is ringing a bell with him. He had met them before.  
"WHAT ARE YOU BLABBERING ABOUT? HOW COULD SOMETHING LIVING IN YOUR DARN SKULL...?! THAT'S COMPLETELY IDIOTIC! AH, WHO CARES..." he whips his head back down, slamming his back on the wall. He's once again masking his fear with anger.  
Well, at least you have an idea thanks to your undertree friend. Convincing Tzacl to listen to you will not be as easy... 

Yarnus tilts his head at Tzacl's words. "Liviȵg in my h℮ad? I đon't thiṇk I thoửght of it tꜧat way." He reaches up and traces around his skull. "It dởes kinda feël like he's ƨtill thëre but I'm ȿure he's gℴne. How ϣould...." he pauses, his question turning more into a statement, "...you knøw."  
Tzacl shifts nervously on his side of the cell, still not making eye contact.  
"I alwaƴs had ⱥ feeliŋg we ẅere odȡly aliꝃe. Ɗid we... aꝛe we boťh... ca℞riers of soṁe sort?" 

Tzacl looks at you, his eyes bright despite his magic shortage. He exhales sharply through his nose and snarls, showing off his sharp fangs.  
"I CARRY AROUND NO FILTHY VOID CREATURE LIKE YOU! I KNOW OF THE KIND YOU CARRY, BECAUSE I HAPPENED TO MEET THOSE EYES BEFORE, WHEN PASSING THROUGH THE SNOWGLOBE INTO THE GRASSLANDS." He whips his head away, very defensive. "I WOULD NEVER STOOP DOWN TO CARRY AROUND SOMETHING SO CORRUPTED AND DISGUSTING!" 

"ℱILTℍY?! SŦOⓄP?!" Yarnus was riled up and ready to jump at the other skeleton when Omega managed to swing a leg around and pin Yarnus down. "You have NO ⱤIGꜦT to saỿ thoȿe thiŋgȿ abouŧ me. I diȡn't asꝃ for tⱨis. Whꜳt do ɎOU KℕOW! №THINƓ!!" Yarnus flailed for a bit before ceasing his struggle under Omega's femur. 

Tzacl jumps up, but quickly falls back due to his own magic surges caused by anger getting disrupted by the shackles. He doesn't let that stop him from arguing though.  
"OH, I KNOW NOTHING DO I?!" he yells, spitting in fury, "I HAVE BEEN CRAWLING THROUGH THIS CESSPOOL OF BROKEN CODE FOR YEARS!!! IT'S YOU WHO DOESN'T KNOW ANYTHING! YOU DON'T KNOW THE TRUE HORROR OF THIS PLACE! YOU DON'T KNOW THE STRUGGLE!"  
"guyyys," Omega whines tearily, "please stop fighting, this ain't gonna help nobody..."  
"OH SHUT UP YOU OBESE CRETIN! SINCE WHEN DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING IMPORTANT TO SAY!?" Omega just sighs, not adding to the fire. Tzacl growls with fury, turning to a corner, squeezing the shawl to his chest under his arm. 

"I nevér sâid ɏŏü Ϣerèn'ⱦ kȵòwledgėåƀle. Gôȡs knōw I'm ȼluelĕss abõuⱦ ⱦħis pläce. By Hėl’s Teatȿ I ħáven't eⱴêȵ beén Ħere ƚong èȵoügh to ħavĕ a hėaⱦ." Maybe that was a little too much information but Yarnus just continued on.  
"I mēaȵt ɏóŭ don'ⱦ knøw ënøugh abõùt me to go jŭȡgiȵg ⱦĦíngȿ aɃouⱦ mĕ. I cė℞ⱦainƚy dóȵ'ⱦ dŏn't kȵŏw â lòⱦ of thĭngȿ aboūt yöu ànȡ I'm a judgė! That is... kiȵdá literalƚy... ℳy jőb!  
I didn'ⱦ äȿk tó bĕ ā ȼårrieɌ or whaⱦèⱴê℞ ⱦhiȿ iȿ," he motioned to his skull. "Būt it'ȿ bēen ā gøōd thing. It's savéd me át least twicĕ Ϣhèn I Ϣāȿ cōmpƚeⱦēly ōůt of mɏ element. I ȡŏn't tâkė kindly to ℳe ôr iⱦ ƀêing įȵsulted."  
After saying his piece Yarnus leaned back on Omega. "I júst thoûgĦⱦ Ϣė hâȡ somëⱦhing íȵ ȼŏmmŏn ƀêsides EXP." 

It's silent, for a long while. Tzacl stares into his corner, frowning at first, but then his eyes slowly soften into a contemplative look, maybe even sad. He sighs lightly, looking at you, frowning, but still looking sorrowful.  
"I WISH WE HAD MORE IN COMMON..." he says, his honesty catching you off guard. Omega also raises his head in shock, both of you staring at the tall skeleton who looks away again.  
"YOU BOTH... KNOW WHERE TO GO. WHAT TO DO. YOU HAVE A GOAL AND YOU HAVE WAYS TO ACHIEVE IT. HECK, YOU PROBABLY EVEN STILL HAVE YOUR OWN UNIVERSE!" he swings his arm toward you, again trying to mask his emotion with anger and hostility. It seems like he himself is tired of the facade however, sighing and looking away, his frown dissolving into a sad look of his tired eyes. "I WISH I HAD THE SAME CERTAINTY, THE SAME DETERMINATION... BUT IT'S BEEN SO LONG. I DON'T EVEN BELIEVE I'LL FIND HIM HERE, I JUST CAME BECAUSE... MIGHT AS WELL LOOK HERE, TOO." He closes his eyes, turning away from you again. 

"I ȡoȵ't knów ϢĦeɌe I'm goiȵg. Nôⱦ Ɍeäƚly. So Ϣĕ hăve thàt in comℳon." Yarnus looks up to Omega. "I'ℳ júst fóƚƚøwiȵg hím. Hė'ȿ ⱦhe onĕ who kȵõϢs åboūt thesë Ħūb thìngȿ aȵd has scīeȵȼë-y frîeȵdȿ oȵ the othêr ȿĩȡē of wherĕvë℞." He wiggles free from Omega and attempts to stand.  
"Tħe ōnƚy Ϣay we geⱦ ąȵyⱦħĭng dôȵe ïȿ by măkīng ℱɍiêȵds ånd ālliés. Withoút ⱦhem it woüld be Ħa℞dè℞, ĩf nöt iℳƥoȿsiɃle to do aȵythiȵg."  
Yarnus makes his way over to Tzacl and extends a hand as much as he possibly can with the restraints on. "If we wo℞k togêtħeɍ I'ℳ sůrĕ wè càn mánage sometĦing."  
  


Tzacl no longer seems angry and hostile, but he doesn't seem hopeful either. He looks at you bleakly, sighing as he turns away.  
"MANAGE WHAT - GETTING OURSELVES KILLED? IT DOESN'T MATTER, EVEN IF YOU MANAGE TO FIND YOUR WAY HOME, WHAT GUARANTEE DO YOU HAVE IT WILL NOT CRUMBLE INTO NOTHINGNESS ONE DAY? THAT YOU WILL LOSE YOUR HOME, YOUR FAMILY, YOUR PURPOSE... HOW CAN YOU BOTH BE SO HAPPY WITH THE KNOWLEDGE THAT NOTHING DEAR TO YOU WILL EVER BE SAFE?"  
Omega hangs his head down, sighing. He lifts up his restrained arms and puts his face in his palms bleakly.  


Yarnus looks at his shunned offered hand and sighs before flopping himself on the cot next to Tzacl. "There's no guaråntℯe īⱦ haȿn't àƚrĕadɏ. I don't knoϢ ℱo℞ surℯ ĦoϢ I got here ƃut mɏ Ϣorld coừld al℞eady be gⓞné. Eⱴên îℱ wé got tø ⱦhĕ ǶɃ and ȡo whaⱦ ever iⱦ iȿ tħaⱦ hůbs dơ, ĩt's poȿsiblè my worƚȡ is ⱦơo ȡīℱferent ⱦo be ℱoůnd. Thére's ą chånce that mɏ retūɍȵiȵg cŏūƚd ℯvĕȵ..." Yarnus sighs and leans back on the cot. "I knoϢ nơⱦĦiȵg oℱ ⱦhis vöîd and nơw I've ℱóund theɌe's a pĭecɇ of īt in mê. Iℱ my Ϣõrld ĭȿ fĩne rîℊht ȵōw, thɇre's a chanȼe tĦàt I cơũƚȡ infeȼⱦ iⱦ iℱ I Ɍeⱦurn. There'ȿ no guaránteɇ iȵ äȵɏthĭȵg, ⱦħerè nevɇ℞ haȿ Ƀeėn."  
Yarnus turned his head and stared at the back Tzacl's skull, "In my past, mɏ ℙùrpose wās ȼhösĕn fôr me. A ỿĕllôw sŏūl, wìⱦh nõ fàmily to ℳisȿ ℳe íf I fàƚƚ. I Ϣăs a ƥeɍfecⱦ toøl føɍ thė kïȵg. Ɉàrƚs ƚīttlè ℰxecƱtiøȵeℛ... ℙractīcallɏ boŗn fo℞ that ŗöƚe." He lifted up his shackles, "Şome daɏȿ I Ϣisħed I staỿêd blìnd, foreⱴer īȵ the ȡårꝃ ⱦo èscapĕ that pŭŗpŏse. The ônĕ thing tħat këƥⱦ ℳé from it Ϣaȿ mỿ oϢȵ purpose. The ƥürƥöȿe I cąŗvêd oůt for mysëƚf ánd that ȵö ôné caȵ take ℱrom me."  
With a bit more pep Yarnus sat up, "I'm a ƥrōⱦeȼⱦó℞. I prøtēct my ƥéople. I pɍõⱦeȼt tħòse ϢĦö nĕeȡ me, and I protéȼt ℳɏ faℳįly. Yoû, Omega, Vĭõleⱦ, Mäȿhℯenka; All óf ɏôu I ȼónsiȡer famïly. In sömê ódȡ Ϣay ℯvên tĦe ƥëòpƚe oℱ tĦīs tõwn I feℯl thē neeⅆ to protèȼt tĦem ℱrøm Ϣon. I choosė ℳy ℱămìƚy, I chōõse ℳy ħoℳe, ąnȡ I cħöòȿe ℳy ƥurṗose! As lŏȵg âȿ I'm stiⱡl arôünd ȵóⱦhing cān ⱦake ⱦħăt àϣåy f℞om ℳe."  
With that said he hopped down and started pacing near the doorway, looking for means of escape while brainstorming ideas.  


You leave the tall skeleton, feeling inspired by your own speech. You grab the bars and tug at them to see how strong they are, then suddenly another pair of much bigger hands wraps around them above you. You look up to see Omega, also trying out how strong the bars are. He doesn't say anything, just smiles down at you softly, his eyesockets wet with tears.  
Seeing as the rest of the city is so poorly built you hoped that the bars would be as well, but no such luck. You check the locks, but they're just as sturdy and well built. This whole castle just, it seems like it was built by people completely different than the rest of the town.  
Omega tugs harder, but to no avail. He sighs and gently pushes you aside, stepping back and kicking against the metal as hard as he can. It doesn't budge, leaving Omega just more frustrated.  
You don't give up, you look around and try to find something, anything that would get you out. You have to stop whatever calamity is about to go off.  
You're getting hopeless again, despite not wanting to admit so. You're weak, Omega is weak, those shackles and the prison cell just too much to be overcame. Omega rams his body against the bars, then exhales deeply, stepping back to sit down for a moment, exhausted. You continue, tirelessly...  
"YOU CANNOT BREAK THOSE, NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO," Tzacl says, some of his previous bitterness back. You don't turn to him, only ramming yourself in them harder, exhausted and hurt all over but determined.  
"I SAID YOU CANNOT BREAK THOSE! NOT WITH THE SHACKLES ON!" You stop to take a breath. "YARNUS!"  
The sound of your own name coming from him surprises you enough to give him your attention. He's looking at you, his frown not giving away much, then closes his eyes with a brief sigh. He looks down to his shawl. Your eyes go a little wider, your attention turning fully to him.  
Despite the situation, this definitely takes the priority.  
Tzacl looks at you, then at Omega, who's also staring, eagerly waiting. Tzacl scoffs a little, then speaks, his voice not much more than a whisper.  
"I DO TRUST YOU THAT YOU WILL KEEP MY SECRET TO YOURSELF," he says. Both of you just nod eagerly.  
Tzacl nudges his arm against the shawl in two quick presses. When nothing happens, he repeats the signal, and the shawl begins to move. It shifts around silently, then-  
a hand emerges. You both just stare at it. It slowly rises out of the shawl revealing the rest of the arm joined at the shoulder right under Tzacls. Tracing blindly across Tzacls breastplate it reaches up to his face, cupping his boney cheek. Tzacl nudges his face into it, directing it away with a little grunt, and the arm continues down his shoulder, his arm, until it finds the shackles. It inspects them with its fingers, touching around, until it finds the keyhole. It sticks the tip in and Tzacl moves in a way that looks like some sort of a touch signal. The hand curls its fingers around the edge of the shackles and begins to direct light magic surges into the keyhole, picking it slowly.  
It seems this will take a while. Tzacl seems like he's trying to avoid your staring, despite letting you see however you'd like.  
  


"Sö thăt'ȿ Ϣhät I ȿēnśed?" Yarnus kept his voice low and let his eye's trace up and down the extra appendage. "It's ȵôt a pꜹrt of ɏour ȿoul, búⱦ is a ƥařt óℱ ɏõu." He didn't want to disturb its concentration but then realized that it probably couldn't hear since Tzacl seemed to use some form of touch to communicate. "Is ĭt sömėȶhing f℞om yõů℞ Ϣoɍld?WëɌe you bøɍn wītĦ it? Did iȶ häppĕn...?" He suddenly cut himself off. "I'm ȿŏɍɍy, I p℞óℳįsed not to ƥry. It'ȿ juŝt... iℱ iⱦ's someŧhiȵg lįkë ⱦhe ȶhiṉg in ℳy Ħead... ɏou'ȡ teƚƚ më, ɍīghŧ?"  


Tzacl looks at you, a little annoyed at the questions, but then just sighs. "I TOLD YOU, I DO NOT GIVE FREE PIGGYBACK RIDES TO VOID DWELLERS." You can sense from his voice that that was as polite as he'll get, so you decide not to get angry again. "THIS... HAD HAPPENED TO ME. TO US. IT IS ALL I HAVE LEFT OF MY BROTHER..." He looks at the arm solemnly. Omega blinks in surprise.  
"you mean... that's your sans?" he asks. Tzacl rolls his eyes.  
"HIS NAME IS NOT SANS. NOT EVERY SKELETON IN THE VOID FITS IN THE TWO CHARACTERISTICS!" He seems a little offended and Omega quickly raises his shackled hands, apologizing. It's silent for a moment, then Omega carefully speaks up again.  
"so... where's... you know, the rest of him?"  
Tzacl doesn't answer for a long while. Then he sighs.  
"I DO NOT KNOW... I HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR HIM FOR YEARS. I SUPPOSE IT IS BOTH A BLESSING AND A CURSE TO, LITERALLY, HAVE PART OF HIM WITH ME. I MAY NEVER FULLY REST UNTIL I FIND HIM, ALWAYS REMINDED OF MY QUEST... YET, I ALSO KNOW HE IS STILL ALIVE. OUT THERE, SOMEWHERE, IN THE DARKNESS..."  
"...the darkness?" Omega whispers. Tzacl nods, looking more sad and on the verge of tears than you ever thought you'd see him.  
"WE TRIED MANY WAYS TO PERFECT OUR COMMUNICATION. HE CANNOT SEE NOR HEAR ME, HIS TOUCH IS OUR ONLY LINK. I TRIED TO GIVE HIM A PEN, TO TELL ME WHERE HE IS. HE WOULD ONLY WRITE OF ETERNAL DARKNESS. HE CANNOT WRITE ANYMORE, IT'S BEEN TOO LONG..."  
  
  


"Whåⱦ's hìȿ naṃe?" Despite any angry glares towards him Yarnus continued. "I'd ℱℯeƚ õdd talkînǵ abõut yoùɍ ƀrôtheɍ wïⱦhøut knoϣing hįs ȵaℳe." he watched curiously as the hand continued to pick at the lock. "Pĕɍhaṗȿ I coülȡ ȼoℳṃunicate witĦ him, I wàs äbƚĕ tŏ cønƞect witĦ Maȿhⱸenká beℱoɍe. The least I coưld ȡo iȿ tħaȵk hiṃ foɍ ħis ħelp."  


Tzacl seems hesitant to tell you, but the idea of you being able to communicate with him seems to have made him hopeful, perhaps a little too much. You can't actually link with him the same way you linked with Masheenka, since you can't look into his eyes, but you could possibly send him a message through the magic in his arm.  
"...IT WAS... IT IS GROLOM." Huh, odd name, but you didn't really expect much else from the brother of a guy named Tzaclkratz. "GROLOM THE SLY." He smiles lightly at the sound of his brothers name. "HEH... I HAVEN'T SPOKEN HIS NAME IN AGES. I FORGOT HOW BITTERSWEET TASTE IT HAS IN MY JAWS."  
He looks to you, his eyes a strange mixture of hope and warn. "SO, ARE YOU ABLE TO... TO TALK TO HIM? I MUST SAY, YOU ARE NOT THE FIRST ONE TO SAY SO," he frowns with anger. "MANY WHO I HAD TOLD MY STRUGGLE HAVE OFFERED ME THEIR HELP - ONLY TO TRY AND TRICK ME. PERLO WAS NO DIFFERENT. JUST A WASTE OF MY TIME, THE TIME I COULD BE USING TO FIND MY BROTHER." He calms down a little. "BUT, AFTER ALL THOSE YEARS... YOU TWO ARE THE FIRST IN A LONG TIME I CONSIDER TRUE ALLIES. I BELIEVE YOU ARE GENUINELY TRYING TO HELP."  
He looks down to the lock, "IT SHOULD NOT BE LONG NOW..."  
  


"I can't ṕrõmise änyƫhįng mo℞ė ⱦhån ⱦĦăƫ I will t℞ỿ. Hoƥëfůlƚy onȼe ⱦheşe ȼũℱℱȿ are ŏff I'ƚl Ƀe a biⱦ mōrê ℳyşeƚf. For sŏmé reãson I thīnk I şòund ƒùȵnỿ." Yarnus gives Tzacl as small smile and turns to Omega. "Wé ṡhóuld reℳōvē yòurȿ ne×t, theȵ ℳiȵe. If anytḫing Ħappėȵṡ beℱore we'℞e aℓℓ ℱ℞ee yōu cäȵ aⱦ lếasⱦ ȼąr℞y ℳe ąrởúnd."  


Tzacl smirks, and just as he's about to say something the shackles give out. You can see his entire being surging up with freshly freed magic, his eyesockets filling up with light for a second. His brother's arm gesticulates victoriously, then offers Tzacl his palm. He gleefully slaps it, then intervenes intertwining his fingers with it.  
"HEHEH, NO NEED FOR MORE LOCKPICKING." He raises a hand, forming a sharp bone attack, "OUTREACH YOUR ARMS!" You do and with just one swift cut you're free. You can feel the magic within you begin to flow again and HOO BOY does it feel strange to be full of someone else's magic so suddenly. The magic of your previous passenger quickly adapts to you, the feeling disappearing and your eyes returning to normal, leaving you energized and prepared. Omega rubs his wrists and pats his belly excitedly, then grabs onto the gate and tears it right out.  
"alright let's go guys!" Omega says excitedly but Tzacl grabs his hoodie and pulls him back.  
"DO NOT BE SO HASTY!" he says, his brothers hand reaching out to feel Omegas soft parka. You can help but imagine what it must be like to be Grolom, with his arm and the rest of him so far away from each other...  
"WE DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT WE ARE STANDING UP AGAINST. WE CAN'T JUST BARGE RIGHT IN!" Omega has also noticed the grabby hand, looking at it as it inches around his belly. "I AM NOT EXACTLY ENERGETIC AFTER OUR FIGHT WITH THE BEASTS, BUT I AM STILL VERY WELL ABLE TO SNEAK AROUND. I SAY I GO ON AHEAD AND CHECK WHAT IS AHEAD OF US UNSPOTTED BEFORE COMING BACK AND-" He stops when Omega starts to laugh, his surprise soon turning to anger. "WHAT IS SO FUNNY?!?" he scoffs with anger. Omega keeps giggling.  
"i'm sorry it just tickles-s-s!" he squirms under the curious touch of the disembodied arm. Tzacl frowns, pushing into the arm so that it backs away. "AS I WAS SAYING, IT WILL BE MUCH SAFER IF I GO FIRST, FOR MY STEALTH IS FAR SUPERIOR TO A BIG BUMBLING FATASS LIKE YOU!" Omega forces himself to stop giggling, although he can't help but continue smiling at the situation. You notice the arm reaching around again, the fingertips landing on the front of your cuirass.  
"again with the fat hate f yers," Omega says as angrily as he can - which isn't much. "i'm just bigboned! and the ectoflesh is to keep my magic safe in the void alright?!"  
The hand is now reaching up to your face, curiously grabbing at your jaw.  


Yarnus gently grasps the exploring hand and gives it a gentle shake and sets it on top of his skull. Perhaps Grolom would at least get an idea of Yarnus' size and that his brother was among friends, even if his brother wasn't being exactly friendly. "Keęp it ȡøwn, Ƀóth oℱ you." he scolded, looking primarily up at Tzacl. "We nêēd ⱦō stick togèthe℞. Tzacƚ can gō on ahead, but we ȿhoülȡ get ℳóⱴing. Someone ïȿ boünd ⱦo ȼɌósş bɏ heɌe soön."  


Tzacl turns to you, noticing the hand on your head. He grunts and grabs his brothers wrist, slapping his palm onto his chest. The arm obediently hugs around him, grasping onto his shoulder like a strap.  
"I SHALL GO AHEAD. I WILL WARN YOU OF ANY DANGERS I COME ACROSS." He doesn't even wait for you to approve, quickly slipping out of the cell like a shadow and disappearing into the dim lit hall. Omega looks at you, smiling.  
"lets go buddy," he steps outside as you follow, "we might not be able to save everybody forever, but we can save these folk right now!" You both jog after where Tzacl has gone.  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's our boys. Tooth surprised me with the commission and then had the watercolor sent to me <333.  
> http://stuffedart.tumblr.com/post/157467815164/commission-for-mouthface-thank-you-so-much-for


	29. The End Is Neigh

The further you get, the more you become aware of a hum, that soon turns louder and louder. It's the same kind of hum you've heard many times before, but this time it feels much closer, much more real. You don't like the sound of this.  
A few times Tzacl waits up for you at a cross section, showing you the way. Despite being mostly exhausted of his magic he seems lively enough to help you, always speeding off into the darkness while you follow. The hum gets stronger and stronger until you stop a bright white light at the end of the tunnel. The same kind of light you saw before shining from the outside beacon.  
You come into a room so enormous it almost feels like you're outside. Piles of gold and gemstones are surrounding the circling walls, but the main item of interest is right there in the middle.  
A huge, absolutely enormous machine. It must be as big as an entire house. It produces a hum so deep it shakes the entire room. It is truly an imposing creation of screens, buttons and wires. Huge tubes affixed to the top are suspending it in the air, one giant screen dominating most of the front.  
All three of your are speechless for the longest time.  
"that's..." Omega finally speaks, gulping before he continues, "that's not just a hub..." He doesn't take his eyes off of it as he takes a step forward. "that's the Ωmega hub ."  
Tzacl raises his head higher, grabbing onto the hand on his shoulder. "SO IT'S TRUE... CAN IT REALLY DO ANYTHING ?" Omega shrugs, still staring.  
"kind of, it's sure capable of anything as long as ya kno what ya want exacly. it also needs a whole lotta power. what the hell is it doin here tho?? i though it'd be-"  
A sudden loud white noise cuts his words, sending him to step back. The giant screen flickers with static, the noise slowly cutting back.  
Then, something begins to emerge. at first it's just a bulge in the screen, then it begins to take shape.  
A huge horse skull slowly comes forth, the liquid static dripping off of it to reveal the bone beneath. Its front hooves come out and it falls down on the floor, shaking the entire room. Slowly, the creature raises its head, the remaining static-y goop dripping off until it's gone as she looks right at you with flickering eyes made of no color at all and all of them at the same time.  
She just stands there silently, an enormous equine shape, staring at you, a million souls yet none of them. Both Omega and Tzacl seem to be frozen in fear. 

Perhaps the other two skeletons were simply not used to others larger than themselves. Whatever the reason, Yarnus slowly stepped out from behind them. Honestly he was surprised that leader of this town reminded him of giant canimorph, or would that be a equimorph? More importantly the resemblance to Masheenkas dream form reminded him of his true purpose; to protect and help those around him.  
His now yellow again orbs scanned the area searching for signs of Zero and Won before making eye contact with Equinlibria. Standing straight and saluting with his arm across his chest he spoke out.  
"Yoü℞ Majeȿtɏ, I am Yăɍȵus, ⱦħe Great Justîȼîaɍ of King Jarƚs Cøūrⱦ. I'ℳ aℱraid I am alȿo ⱦhe Ƀeareɍ ŏf soℳe ȡiȿtuɍɃĭȵg infoɌmâtióȵ."  


Even with your best efforts you aren't able to properly look around to see any approaching danger. The creatures stare, her sole existence, draws your attention to her and her only. It feels the longer you're with her the more your senses focus on her, turning blind to anything around.  
You don't feel as intimidated, trying to remain calm and collected. But even with your best efforts you can't help but stare right into the flickering eyes, switching from colour to colour constantly. Staring at her with your magical sight you see too much, there's too much, there's too much...  
You don't know if you've stared into her eyes for just a few seconds or an eternity. But soon enough you come to realize, she is a creature of many souls yet none at all.  
Her jaws □pen. It's not a so□nd tha□ she mak□s, it ca□'t be, you c□n't hea□ it, but □ou u□derst□nd no□th□less.  
" □□□□□ □□ □□□□ □□□□□□ "  
She orders you to speak of your cause.  


It takes a moment for Yarnus to pull his attention back to himself enough to speak. "I wish ønƚy to ħeƚp wĦerè I caȵ. Bût I hąⱴe beén mìsƚeȡ ƀy óȵê Ϣhich Ϣįȿhes you hꜹrℳ." Yarnus would try to cast his eyes downward if he was able to. "I was ƀlinȡ tø his fûll iȵtêȵⱦîòns. Hè uȿed my deȿĩ℞e ⱦo reaȼħ tħe hub ⱦo fö℞ⱳärȡ Ħiȿ ówȵ pƚàns. Hê wĭȿhés to ℜėmovë yoŭr poϢer and destɌǿy yôu... aⱦ leaȿt thąt iȿ Ϣħaⱦ ħe saĩȡ Ϣås ȵeȩdèȡ to help ⱦhé ƥêoplê ḩĕre." His voice drops since his eyes can not. "I Ϣaȿ a fꝏƚ, aȵd ȵow hê aȵd ħĩȿ ℘aɌⱦnĕr are withín your ȼastle walƚs, reădy ⱦŏ acⱦ on wĦatĕve℞ ƞefarious plot ⱦhey have devised."  
Now he realized that the borrowed power may have been the reason he was able to communicate and wasn't frozen in place like his companions. 

The creature stares at you, then makes a step closer. You can literally feel the gust of soul power, just her sole existence so filled with magic. She comes closer, stretching her long neck closer. You notice her bones shifting, changing shape, until her formerly horse like appearance reforms. Her head looks more like a beast of prey now, but her hooves stay. A set of bat wings, with multicolored magic for membranes, spour at her back.  
She sp□aks again. She tells you that des□ite your effort to warn her of danger, yo□'re a trespasser. You'□e been apprehen□ed but h□ve escaped.  
How d□ you p□ead, Justiciar? 

Fear began to gnaw at his bones. Stepping back he bumped into Omegas belly. He couldn't allow fear to take ahold of him so he gathered up courage to speak back. "I rèálize ℳɏ e℞ɍo℞ iȵ juȡgℳent, ƀut I ȼoũldn'ⱦ reℳain iȵ custoƌy Ϣhile Won and Zero Ϣére ȿtĩƚl at lárge. Your ƥeōƥle refũȿèȡ to sée me äs ânyⱦhing othĕr ⱦħan ą chilȡ, ⱦhëy wôuldn'ⱦ hąve belⅈèved ànɏⱦhing I tōlȡ tħêm. We ħad ⱦo èscaṕé to waɍȵ ɏou." He took in a deep breath, "Won used uȿ a baiṱ tō géⱦ paȿt the celƚs. I woulⅆȵ'ⱦ be ȿürƥ℞isėd if he uşed üs now to distract yöu. We åɍé n⍤ⱦ ɏour enemy." 

Her jaws open slightly, her breath filled with magic blowing over you and your friends. Her eyes never leave yours, staring at you without flinching.  
Your intent□on is of no importance to h□r. You are a nos□y little t□ing an□ you were wil□ing to kill her. You w□ll want to kill her. You d□ want to kil□ her. Because you are just and she is a mur□erer. The source of her po□er is not unknown to you. If you could you would destroy her only to aven□e all that she h□d destroyed.  
Her head raises to Tzaclkratz as she opens her jaws, huge sharp venom fangs sticking out like a snakes. She speaks to him, but this time you are not so sure what she's saying. It's full of anger, aggression, just like he is. She speaks of a kill he would not give up to her. She accuses him of being a relentless killer, just like her, and they both know what two killers do when they meet...  
Finally, her teeth retract and jaws close, forming back into a horse skull. She turns to Omega, yet her eyes are... softer. This time she speaks with much more calmness in her voice. It's only Omega who never had the intention to hurt her, or anybody else for that matter. She will kill him nevertheless, but his death shall be painless and his soul shall join her in peace.  
Then, she turns back to you, her bones shifting once more, huge antlers growing rapidly to crown her head. Her eyes are as cold as before, yet merciful, in some twisted sense of the word.  
She kno□s of them. They're in this ro□m, right as you speak. They m□y think they've come in u□noticed...  
Her eyes shift slightly to the right and you, as if she only now allowed you to, look the same way. Just like she said, Zero and Won are hiding by one of the columns that line the walls. Both look terrified, yet you see what looks like... excitement in Wons eyes. Zero is holding some enormous metal tube, his eyes wide despite trying to look tough.  
...but n□thing get□ behind her.  
Won smiles. His smile slowly replaces the fear in his eyes, and he steps forward. Equinlibria raises her head away from you, facing the small skeleton, and you only now realize you've been holding your breath. Looking at her form you see she hasn't stopped shifting yet, her skull now prolonged into what almost looks like a toothed beak.  
Won puts his hands in his pockets as he looks up at the enormous God-like before him, only the slightest bit of fear apparent in his eyes. He smiles that sleazy smile of his tired eyes, gesturing back to Zero who's much more hesitant to come closer.  
"Congratulations, really, what an entrance. You sure got everybody shaking in their boots, knowing all their secrets, their very soul..." His smile freezes, his eyes getting darker. "Or... have you? You don't have much to offer, do you? You're just... a one trick pony, one would say."  
She makes a step closer, opening her jaws, her form shifts once again into a wicked spiked form of a dragon, her hooves splitting into claws. Once again you can't her exactly what she says, but you have a general idea. She questions Wons insolence and self confidence in the eyes of a God-like.  
"Why should I respect you? You're just an oversized soul-bin." Won is unflinching, the same wicked smile on his face. "You might have knowledge and power, but you're not almighty in the slightest. Case in point-" He spreads his arms. "-me."  
She remains silent this time. Won puts his hands back into his pockets, smiling at her almost sadistically.  
"That's right. You don't know me, do you? You can't see me, can you? Heheh, didn't think so. Nobody can. No one ever could."  
Suddenly you feel a draft, pushing you from the back, yet... not exactly. You can feel a pull on your magic, towards the giant creature, and as you look you see her ribcage light up with enormous amounts of magic before she whips her head, opening her jaws and releasing an enormous blast of magic discharge right over Won. The room shakes with the impact, but once the dust settles... Won stands there without a single scratch. His eyes are burning with sadistic glee.  
"You are of no danger to me," he says silently, "but I am of all the danger to you. Once and for all I will stop you from wrecking this land, breaking this piece of existence. It's inevitable, you old mule, your killing streak ends here. Surrender to me..." He reaches his hand towards her, holding what looks like a golden heart locket in his hand.  


Everything is too confusing... Won hadn't lied, had he? The distraction from within the prison, that had been Yarnus' idea. And thus it had happened. Won was a masterful manipulator and strategist. Almost to the point that it was highly impressive, just not too pleasant at times. With Equinlibrias eyes off of them and concentrating on Won, Yarnus grabbed Omega's parka and tried to quietly get Tzacl's attention.  
"Omegå, can yoû gét thaⱦ huƀ ōf ɏŏurȿ tŏ gët us òüⱦ of herĕ? I don't know exâctƚy Ϣhat is goïng on, and I'ȡ pɍefer to ƀe änywheɌe but ħére." He turns to look at Won's unfazed stance across the room. "He gŏt us into tħiȿ ℳeȿs, ħe ȼaȵ get himȿêlℱ out òf iⱦ." 

Omega gulps, clearly scared out of his mind. Turning around you see that even Tzacl, usually so cocksure and unfazed, is shaking slightly.  
"w-well i think i-"  
She turns back to you, her jaws shaping into a terrifying teethfilled maw. You yourself, as well as all your friends, jump back.  
S□□ is an□r□ wi□h □ou t□□ing t□ plan be□ind h□r bac□.  
  
N͙̗̉̎̿ͩ̈́ͪ̓□̮̈̐̔̇ͤ̂T̲̺̆̇̋̕□̨͕̈̈̄͑̅□̜͎̖̠̄̃̍͆̏̊́N̮̜̣̊̿ͧ̿̐͛ͦG̢̱͈̖̪͉͕ͬ̅͆̋̊ͅ ̷͉̩̹̲ͨͧ̈́G̎̍͏̘͈̘̖□͠T̑̐ͧ̿̑̋ͣ͡S̙͒͌̉ͩ͌ ̺͍̗ͤ̓̿̿̿̉Ḅ̶̟̟̰̫̍̅̑̚E̼̝̫̞͔̹͉ͤ̒□̴I̜̦͆̎ͦ͊͊̓□̗͆̈́̎̀□͉͕̙̲̭͖͊ͯͬ̌ ͇̰̗̼̠͕͖̒͋̎͆̔̔͑H͉̾̋̈̐ͣͨ□̘̬ͭ͛͗̏̊͘ͅR͕̫̖͈͛̂ͅ  
  
As she turns, you see Won flash a vicious smirk. He outstretches his arm with the locket in it, preparing to throw it.  
"Nothing but me."  
The locket flies in an ark and time seems to slow down as it does. Equinlibrias eyes shift to see the thrown object, and her enormous shifting body jumps aside. She dodges the locket. Wons expression changes into horror.  
She turns to him with a loud roar of anger, but he doesn't let himself succumb to the fear. He raises his hand, gesturing to Zero in the back. The big skeleton throws the huge tube aside and growls as he lights up with magic that isn't his. Must be some form of magic powered device, since you barely saw any of his own in his body.  
Then Won looks to you. The look he gives you is fleeting, but everything is in it.  
Distraction. He needs distraction.  
With that, Equilibria begins her raging attack.  
Her back legs dig into the ground and she lunges at Won, not with her magic this time, simply with her claws. Won uses the same kind of borrowed magic devices, quickly whipping his hands up to block the strike of her enormous jaws with a bone, jumping aside. Tzacl gets lower on his legs and quickly sneaks to the wall, using the columns and his impressive acrobacy to climb up higher and gain better footing.  
You feel Omegas huge hand on your shoulder. As you look to him, you meet with a smile, hesitant, yet loyal.  
"i got yer back, lill man."  


Seeing Omega's smile fills him with determination. But there was still no way he would want to put the big guy in even more danger. Grabbing him, Yarnus pulls him down enough to press their teeth together briefly. Pulling away he unties the slingshot pouch from his belt and was about to give it to Omega. Instead he turned around and looked at the fallen locket. An idea formed in his head and he emptied the contents of the pouch into Omegas palm, "Yõu caȵ probablɏ juȿt thɍòϢ the funny lôokiȵg oȵes fasⱦ ènoügĦ to cáůsė à distráctĭôn. Geⱦ to tĦe ƥower sõu℞ce, yoŭ ȿĦoüƚd ƀe safē tħĕre. Sħē ℞èąd you℞ ȿoul ènough ⱦo knòw ɏou won't hārℳ heɍ ānd she migħⱦ not be Ϣilling aⱦtaȼk her owȵ Ϣéakness."  
Before Omega can make any objections Yarnus sprints off to column to take refuge behind as he plans his next move. Equilibria probably already knows that Tzacl will attack her soon. Her "one-trick" as Won had put it was no different than his own, just much more powerful. Fighting her would be like fighting himself. Close combat like the others would be useless, only projectiles had a chance and only if they were fast and unexpected... like the bracers.  
Yarnus steeled his nerves and holds the pearlescent sword in his left hand, his right hand resting on the trigger points of the bracers. In his mind he goes through different strikes and reactions to the lunges, careful to not think of firing the bracers at the areas opened up with every dodge she made. Two strikes with his left arm, one strike with the right, one more pass to grab the locket....no... don't think about that. Concentrate on the strikes. Kick the locket if he had the chance. He'd need to have a safe spot to load the locket into the sling without the chain tangling up.  
Yarnus' speed and reactions would be tested in this fight with a shape-shifter, but it's not like the first time he's fought one. A sentimental smile crossed his face as he thought back to his troll friend. That smile turned into one of determination as he stepped out of his hiding spot and began his attack.  
  


You run out of hiding, lifting your arms up. Equinlibria is still striking against Won, seemingly not even paying any attention to anyone else. She want's him the dead-est out of all of you. Tzacl has made his way up and between the giant tubes connected to the Ωmega hub while Omega stands put close by the hub, watching you, hands full of the projectiles to cover you in case you needed it. After this quick overview you fire, trying to think as little as possible about what you are doing.  
The first dart flies out but misses, since you can't aim properly. You take a bit more care with the next one, but as you fire she turns to you with rage in her flickering eyes. The dart disintegrate as soon as it gets near, and so does the rest. She charges up her attack but just as she's about to fire she gets hit in the head with one of the many stones Omega is throwing. Your soul stops beating when she turns to him, but she stops herself before she fires. Seems like she really doesn't want to damage the hub, thankfully.  
She swallows the built up magic, a second of her time that costs her another hit. Tzaclkratz, although low on magic, is chugging smaller and more precise attack from above, until she rams her head up and throws him out of the tubes. As he begins to fall, Omega runs to catch him while Won and Zero get her attention back, Won running for the locket the moment he can. You're closer however, the strange item on the tip of your fingers-  
but you stop just before you touch it in shock.  
It's not just a locket.  
It's a human soul.  
"DON'T TOUCH IT!" Won yells at you, savouring your moment of hesitation. 

A stable human soul? Just what was Wons plan? Yarnus instinctively followed the given command while internally cringing at his own reaction. Watching Won’s approach he draws his sword and charges towards him. The sale skeleton only looked concerned for a moment before Yarnus dashed past him towards Zero, striking out at Equinlibrias limbs gaining her attention. Now not only Won, but Tzacl and Omega needed a distraction.  
Yarnus kept close to her, predicting her movements as close as he could. She wouldn’t be able to fire her beam at him or be able to concentrate on firing at anyone else. Won and the locket were nowhere in sight anymore, but the brief moment he took to look earned him a blow that sent him flying across the room.  
The impact knocked him out for a brief moment. His head rang with the s□und □f lau□hter and his shoulder hurt like something was holding it tightly. Opening his eyes he found himself high up in the air, his legs dangling uselessly below him as his cuirass was stuck on some sort of hook on one of the columns. Equinlibrias ever changing skull was eye level with his entire body.  
  
W□TCH LIT□LE JUDG□  
WAT□H Y□UR FR□□NDS DI□ TH□N Y□U SHA□L □EG ME T□ END Y□UR LI□E □S WE□L  
PE□H□PS I WI□L... P□RH□PS I W□LL N□T.  
  
With that she turned and he could see her target. Omega was out in the open, no longer near the safety of the hub. No one else was around to protect him. Won had probably turned tail and ran off with his prized locket, Zero dutifully following. Tzacl was hopefully out of sight preparing another attack, but it wouldn’t matter at this point. Yarnus soul flared as he summoned three bullets in front of him, each filled with full INTENT, Justice, Protection, and Retribution. Stabilizing himself on the column he drained the magic from his pained arm and transferred it to his throwing arm. Thankfully his sling had not fallen in the impact.  
He had a clear shot to the back of her skull as he loaded the three bullets at once into the sling and fired it with all his might at the oversized beast. 

She knows. You know she knows, so you aren't so surprised when she whips her head around and all three bullets dissolve like drops of paint in a waterstream. Her eyes stare at you, sort of gleeful. She's mocking you.  
Her flickering eyes stare into yours, so intent, so vicious, so... pained, scared, hurt. You find yourself suddenly staring into the eyes of hundreds, thousands of souls, all of their lives ended by her, monsterlike and animalistic minds alike. She is a prison. She is a murderer.  
You don't even notice what happens at first, entranced by the sight of what she is inside. Suddenly, her eyes go wider, and you have first row seats to see another soul enter her. But this time, it's much more powerful, much more affecting and willful. You see with your own eyes as she becomes part human, a terrified and confused human, and her face contorts into a terrified anthropomorphic grimace, both figuratively and literally.  
Won had struck her with the locket while she was distracted by you. He had given her the human soul, forced it upon her. Her eyes glow out of her sockets so brightly they're more like headlights.  
She screams, contorting and twitching all over, changing shape rapidly. You just now notice Won smiling smugly, quickly gesturing to Zero as they both run to one of the columns. You see Omega, holding Tzacl in his arms as he stares in confusion at the squirming screaming God-like. The room is shaking with her trashing and lashing out with her magic, and you can feel yourself getting loose. You just notice Tzacl point to you and Omegas eyes fixing upon you before he floors it, running to catch you just like he did Tzacl.  
With another shake the metal hook slips out of the column, but you manage to hold onto a crack with your strengthened arm. Soon, your fingers are slipping again, and before long you're falling, only to fall into Omegas soft embrace. A little shaken, but not injured, you're treated to a tight hug, Omega unintentionally squishing you and Tzacl together. The tall skeleton groans loudly, pulling away.  
Quickly you hide behind the column, staring at the still confused creature. Her magic is much greater now, much more powerful, and you can't but blink in confusion. Why? Why would Won make her more powerful? You can't comprehend it.  
Speaking of which, you notice Zero and Won dragging the huge metal tube (a canon maybe?) out from behind the column. Won looks almost disturbingly excited, laughing in unwholesome spurts as he pushes into Zero more than the actual tube. Zero doesn't share his enthusiasm in the slightest, almost backing off more than going forward, but Won doesn't let him.  
The creature suddenly begins to charge up, and just a second later an enormous beam, many times more powerful than before, is blindly fired from her throat, spurting around like water from an unbound hose. Zero stops completely this time, getting Wons attention. The small saleskeleton notices what's happening, grabbing onto the tube and covering it in some magical protection.  
The beam reaches them, both disappearing in the intense light. When it passes, there's only Won and the metal tube. Zero has been reduced to a pile of ash and burnt clothes. Won looks mildly annoyed as this, quickly dragging the tube on his own, but with a lot of trouble.  
Finally he can't push it any further in the cracked floor tiles. He turns to you.  
"HELP ME OUT HERE, DAMNIT! OR WE ALL DIE!"  


There really wasn’t much of any other options. The loss of Zero weighed on him when he meekly whispered, "Leⱦ’ȿ go." Tzacl turned to walk the other way but was stopped by Yarnus’ grasp.  
"WHAT? DO YOU MEAN WE SHOULD HELP THE FOOL! HE GOT US INTO THIS MESS, THAT’S WHAT YOU SAID YOURSELF." Tzacl gestures towards the dust and scraps left of Zero, "IT’S NOT LIKE HE CARES FOR ANYONE BUT HIMSELF".  
"I kȵôw Ħê ℳāy nõt, but I do! If we doȵ’t stop he℞ now, she’lƚ ȡėstɌoy this whole cïty, poȿsîblɏ this èȵtíɍë arėa wilƚ ƀe Ɍuiȵs... if anytħing reℳaįns at all." Yarnus found his sword among the debris and turned to see Omega already heading over towards Won. He didn’t trust Won in the slightest, but that skeleton had plans. Right now that’s all the hope anyone had.  
His left shoulder still ached. He was reminded of that when Tzacl placed his hand on it. "WHY BOTHER IF WE ARE ALL GOING TO BE DEAD ANYWAY." Yarnus looked up at the tall skeleton with a twisted grin that was mostly caused by the pain Tzacl was unknowingly afflicting.  
"Iℱ I’m going tõ die, it Ϣíƚƚ bĕ wīth my ȿwørȡ iȵ Wôȵ’ȿ ȼħesⱦ." He used the pommel of the sword to lift Tzacls hand from him. "Bût I’d rathėr not ȡiĕ ⱦoday. Keèp a lookŏut foɌ ůs ând ⱦry ⱦo ȡĩsⱦracⱦ heɌ ïf she fĭreȿ ágaín."  


Tzacl nods, quickly running off to get a better position again.  
Omega is already lifting up the tube, loudly asking Won what he wants with it over the noise of the yelling Godlike. You see Won begin to gesture and explain with a light smile as you run in, helping both of them move the tube as Won instructs you.  
Two times Tzacl attacks the beast, only to throw it off so it doesn't fire at you. His boneattacks are very weak, but they get the job done.  
You finally get in position that Won is satisfied with. "We only get a single shot at this," he says, almost nonchalantly, but you see slight nervousness in his face, "so let's not miss, yes?" Omega holds up the tube and won directs him to aim it, slowly and carefully.  
The giant creature is still so confused and terrified, but it begins to calm down. With heaving breath and wide eyes she stares around herself, then - her eyes land on you. She stares you down, her eyes fluently changing colour instead of flickering this time, surrounded by a rainbow hue. You feel her confusion, her anger, her fear.  
"Say goodbye you dumb old mule," won whispers, triggering the canon.  
An enormous beam of light, ten times the power of the biggest blaster you ever saw, hits the creature right across the neck. With a choked scream and a loud snap, her head comes flying off, landing with a loud thud into the silence. Then, the body slowly falls, shaking the entire room. You stare into her unmoving eyes as they slowly go paler and paler, turning white before they dim and disappear.  



	30. You? Won!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Is this the beginning of the end... or the end of the beginning?

  
The Godlike is dead. Yet she is not. Her body, although unmoving, is still alive and full of magic. Her legs twitch, chest moving up and down with shaky deep breaths.  
Omega puts the canon down, staring at the head, then the body, then Won. The small saleskeleton is staring in disbelief as a wide amazed smile spreads over his face.  
"I've... I've done it. I've actually done it," he laughs lightly, walking over to the body slowly while you and Omega stay behind.

Yarnus wasn't used to seeing souls perish like that. Perlo had been soulless, so it hadn't bothered him at the time. The blindness after his fatal attacks had always saved him from such scenes. But this time, despite the justice he felt he had dealt, he was in shock. His eyes were locked on the skull long after the orbs had been snuffed out, barely noticing Tzacl's movement towards Won and the remaining carcass.  
"i... i don't know what ta say." Omega's hand gently rubbed along Yarnus' good shoulder. "i just don't..."  
No words came from the smaller skeleton. He just pat the larger hand and gave it a small squeeze before the pain from his shoulder shocked him back to his surroundings. He took the time to look around the room. Piles of gold and other riches had been scattered in the fight. It looked exactly like the story-books said of dragon lairs. Was this what Won was truly after? To sit on a hoard as some sort of thief-king or was there something else? Without being able to read him Yarnus was again troubled.  
"hey, hey bud?" The big guy was growing concerned. The silence growing around them was almost as deafening as the previous wailing of the god-beast.  
"I was... jùst tĦĩnkíng... abōũⱦ stũfℱ." He looked up at the larger skeleton before catching a glimpse of Tzacl looking his way. Yarnus made eye contact and slightly motioned to the somewhat exuberant Won in a way he hoped meant 'keep an eye on him'. Turning his attention back to Omega, he motioned towards the dust and remains of Zero. "Let's find ȿomėtĦiȵg appropɍiâté ℱor hįm." Silently together they found a decent container and gathered his dust before approaching Won and Tzacl near the body. 

Omega finds a small jewelry box atop the riches in which you collect the unfortunate skeleton, walking over to Won. The small saleskeleton is reaching his hand to the body, but doesn't touch it, the amazed smile still on his face. Omega comes to him, but has to tap on him to even get his attention. Won turns to him, raising his eye arches.  
"What do you want?" He seems maybe a little annoyed. Omega coughs unsurely.  
"uh, just... here's..." he silently lifts the jewelry box. Won looks at it with no real remorse, then back at Omega.  
"What? What should I do with it?" Omega is taken aback.  
"uhhh, well... i dunno, give him a proper burial? dust him on a beloved thing? you are his brother!"  
"Coworker, actually," Won says, no longer even paying attention, slipping out of his armoured vest and approaching the body. Omega frowns.  
"that doesn't matter! he died doing you service!! show some damn respect, it could'Ve been any of us!"  
Won turns to Omega with cold eyes and a careless smile.  
"Indeed, it could've," he shrugs, "I do not care for him, nor any one of you."  
Omega wants to get angry but... Won is acting very strange, getting the big skeleton to just look at him in confusion. The small saleskeleton is taking his clothes off right before you. Omega looks at you briefly, as if you would have the answer, before speaking up again.  
"...won?" Won sighs with annoyance, turning to you.  
"Look, it was nice of you to help me out. So, take anything you want, there's plenty of treasure to go around here and get out before it's too late, but don't expect me to care about you or that big mumblin idiot," he gestures carelessly towards the jewelery box. "Because I do not care about these little things anymore. I have much bigger plans..." His smile sends a light shiver down your spine.  
"won," Omega speaks up a little firmer, but also with much more worry, "what are you planning?" Won walks away from you, completely naked now, off towards the severed neck of the Godlike. Growing unnerved, Tzacl steps out threateningly.  
"STOP! DO NOT DARE TO TOUCH THE-"  
"Shut up, freak," Won says silently, not even looking at him. Tzacl growls, summoning a few small bones, obviously straining with effort to even get his magic to work by now. Won looks at him, raising an eyearch tauntingly, which seems to provoke Tzacl into attack. The bones fly towards Won, who knocks one away and lets another hit him, only lightly flinching at the impact. He scoffs, laughing silently. "You'd have more luck throwing stones. Get out of my way."  
He makes his way to the severed neck. As you stare he turns around to face you, giving you a vicious smile.  
"My plans are simple my friends... To become a God. "  
The back of his head touches the severed spine and the room is once again filled with noise and light. There's nothing you can do by now so you just stare in shock and fear as the huge body twitches back to life, Wons body straining and twitching just as much, his face contorted in pain. Omega holds onto you in fear as Wons body slowly lifts up in the air, now stuck to the neck of the giant beast. His eyes open with bright colours as he takes a deep agonized breath, then finally relaxes slumping down. Shortly after, his head lifts up again, his hue changing eyes gently opening, a vicious chuckle filling the room. His voice is now booming all around you as he speaks.  
" Finally, it all comes together... " He looks to you, raising up on the rest of his new body. " Now, it will all come apart. " He raises his hand towards the canon and with just the use of his magic crumbles it up like a piece of paper. " I'm not known for my goodwill, but I'm also not an ungrateful man. I shall give you a bit of time so if you get out of here fast enough you should make it out before I destroy this place. " Omega steps forward in anger.  
"you LIAR! YOU SAID-"  
Won raises his hand to him and Omega is knocked down to the ground in pain.  
" I don't care about your opinion fat man, " he utters, that shitty smile still on his face, " either get out or I can just kill you right here and now. "  
Tzacl runs over, helping Omega up much to your surprise. Once the big skeleton is on his feet he steps out again, but Tzacl holds him back.  
" CALM DOWN YOU FOOL, NOW IS NOT THE TIME TO BE HEROIC. WE ARE ALL WEAK AND TIRED, SURVIVE TO FIGHT ANOTHER DAY. " He looks to you, pointing to the exit with his head. " COME ON... "  
He begins dragging Omega back as Won smirks, closing his eyes as he summons the giant wings of the creature.  
" Well, it was nice of you to join me, but I have a city to conquer. Also, I'll be taking this... " He whips his arm and the entire giant machine of the Ωmega hub. With enormous rucus of the walls being torn apart the whole thing is uprooted, the ceiling crumbling as he tears the giant tubes out of it. You barely even escape some of the falling debris. " In case you got some foolish ideas with it. Now... I'd start running if I were you. " He flashes you a gleeful smile, his wings spreading wide before he takes off. Flying out the hole in the ceiling, the enormous machine following.  
Then it's silent. You're left to stand there, staring up, recollecting yourselves from what had happened, helplessness and fear filling your souls.  
"can't fuckin believe i sucked his dick..." Omega wails hopelessly, staring up into the dark black sky through the hole in the ceiling. 

He’s a failure. More than a failure. Everything he had hoped to prevent, he now was a part in causing to come to fruition. The city would be destroyed, the entire populace devoured by the Won-God, the Ωmega hub gone, and who knows what further destruction would be caused… all of this was his fault. He had given the empty souled Won a second chance… how many times? Why did he let Omega go alone into that tavern? Why didn’t he run the moment Won showed his true hollow self? Why didn’t he take the human soul for himself? Why? Why was it so cold here and getting darker? Why was Omega lifting him up and pulling him into his parka? What was that color staining his shirt. Was it mustard or ketchup, or both, mixed somehow. It didn’t smell like either, more like an old rusted sickle being used on a field of flowers.  
Yarnus was there. A field of flowers. Home. In front of him a bridge burning bright with all the colors he’d ever seen. Someone standing nearby beckoning him to come close. As he walked forward there was no pain. He could hear a voice, all around and inside his skull.  
"YOU HAVE FOUGHT WELL AGAINST THE GIANTS"  
His steps felt lighter as he approached his destination but then began to sink into the ground that was now a bog beneath him. The voice changed away from it’s previous gentleness.  
"BUT YOU HAVE UNLEASHED A FOUL GOD IN THE PROCESS"  
A strong gust blew Yarnus onto his back. Unable to move he could only stare up at the blue sky watching as pale blue clouds swirled and filled the dark blue sky. Rain began to fall on his face as the voice yelled again, seemingly closer to his side.  
"...CRYING? THERE IS NO CRYING! THERE IS NO CRYING IN RETREAT!"  
Yarnus blinked to remove the moisture from his face and looked up to the source. Never had he imagined seeing Omega’s face in such a state. Light blue leaked out not only from his eye sockets, but his nose as well, occasionally blowing a bubble as he trotted along. Yarnus found the sight a little humorous and a light chuckle escaped him catching the larger skeletons attention.  
"heh… HEH… heh… stay... with me…" His voice caught for multiple reasons, including keeping up with Tzacl’s pace. "we’re almost... outta this place… just… hang on… please…"  
Yarnus could feel the pain in his shoulder as well as the familiar blue magic he had felt before back in the echovine caves. "Noⱦ. Goïng. AnyϢheɍe." Just the act of talking was tiresome so he closed his eyes and rested as best as he could while Tzacl yelled and made their way through the chaos of the city streets. 

The streets are filled with panicking folk, some running around, some staring at the high towers of the castle were the giant morphing creature is sitting, looking over the city. The Ωmega hub is propped up on the roof of the giant throne room, massive damage caused to much of the huge building. The Ωmega hub, the original source of the giant light beacon, has now gone even brighter with static, illuminating the city in a panic inducing flickering light.  
You're held tightly to the big skeleton as Tzacl runs before him, clearing the way through the panicking crowd for both. Your head feels floaty, hurting from crying. Is all of this even happening? Maybe it's just a bad dream.  
" LISTEN UP! " Won shouts from the tower, " TONIGHT, THE CITY OF ZWEZYR WILL BE DESTROYED! THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T WANT TO DIE WITH IT SHALL SWEAR ME THEIR ALLEGIANCE! THE REST WILL MEET WITH FATE WORSE THAN DEATH! "  
It must be a dream. This can't be happening, can it? No, nononono, none of this is real, none of this is real, none of this is real none of this is real none of this isrealnoneofthisisrealnoneofthisisrealnoneofthisisreal...  
You black out. From exhaustion both physical and psychical, your body just refusing to go on any longer. Held in the giant arms of your friend you fall into a dreamless slumber filled with sorrow and guilt...  
A part of you wishes you would never wake up again. But another urges you nø t to give up. You cⱥn't give Ʊp.  



	31. Chap Tar Dirty One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I think after that last chapter we could all use some homebrew medicine.

Slowly you open your eyes. It's dark around you, only a faint flickering light coming from outside through a window above you. After a while your eyes get accustomed and you find yourself in... a small cottage? Oh, you recognize this place. That's Maiden's and Snork's home.  
You're tucked away in the huge bed, covered with not only the thin covers but also Omegas thick parka and... Tzacls shawl. From outside you can hear voices, not able to recognize what they're saying until you listen in carefully.  
"i just- i just wanted to get us home... i never wanted for any of this to happen, i didn't even want nobody hurt..."  
"UGH, SHUT UP ALREADY! YOUR GOODY TWO SHOES NONSENSE IS NOT CONCERNING ANYBODY BUT YOU!"  
"Come now Tzacl, don't be so mean to him, he has the right to feel bad after causing death to so many Zwezyr folk."  
"whatev'ah, good riddance i tell ya, dem cave dwellah's were nuttin' but trouble ever sinc' dey got 'ere..."  
"Snork! Don't talk like that!"  
"what? like i should care bout them???"  
"I WOULD NOT BE SO CAREFREE IF I WERE YOU YOU FOURARMED IDIOT! WHO'S TO SAY WON WILL STOP AT ZWEZYR? HE HAS ENOUGH POWER TO TAKE OVER THE ENTIRE GRASSLANDS NOW!"  
"Ooooh, ohohoh, no way! We won't let that awful man anywhere near our goats!"  
"who u callin' a fourarmed idiot?!? ya just full'a envy cuz ya got one missin!"  
"Stop arguing! This is getting us nowhere!"  
"come on Maiden, am I suppos'd to just let 'im insult our kind?"  
"I SAY YOU BETTER CONSIDER MOVING!"  
"i just hope the caves will be safe from him... oh stars, what have we done..." 

The voices do little to comfort him. If anything his breath begins to catch and he starts to cough. That gets the attention on the voices and everyone goes silent, even Snork. A chair squeaks across the floor at the same time Maiden’s voice raises. "No!" The tone was commanding but gentle. "He needs rest. I will tend to his wound. Snork, would you please put some stock on to warm? I’m sure everyone will feel better after a good meal." There was a disagreeable grumble from either Tzacl or Snork, it was hard to tell.  
Yarnus wondered at what wound they were talking about. Other than being tossed about, his cuirass had taken the brunt of the blows. The front panel sat in a corner not too far away, his kilt draped over it. Being completely bare under the covers wasn’t that concerning, but his shoulder itched in a peculiar way. Looking down he could barely make out… herbs? Some sort of paste was applied to his scapula around a… notch? Things started piecing together in his mind.  
The smear on Omega had been his own marrow... and the back panel? Yarnus looked around before seeing a mangled piece of metal tossed in the furthest corner. The imprints of Omegas fingers were visible from his position.  
Maiden stepped in holding a small pot and a cup in another one of his hands. "It is good to see you awake. You were in quite the shape when your friends brought you to us." He sat the pot next to the bed and offered the cup. With two arms supporting his back, Yarnus was able to sit up enough to drink the proffered fluid.  
"Gah! Whąt įs this?" Yarnus tried to hand the cup back but Maiden simply guided it back.  
"It will help with the healing… and any pain that you may have."  
Yarnus dutifully finished the cup but not without plenty of grimacing and gagging during the process. Maiden took the cup and took up the pot, dipping his fingers into the paste Yarnus had seen on his shoulder.  
"I’m afraid this may be quite unpleasant, but necessary. I’m sorry…" 

Unpleasant was a vast understatement. Your eyes go wide and your teeth grind together, barely suppressing your voice into only a painful groan. It feels like half your back is on fire and Maidens hands are only pushing the burning coals of pain around. You grab onto the sheet and nearly tear it as you try to hold still, knowing he only wants to help you.  
"Oh dear oh dear... that's about the biggest chip I've ever seen... You have gotten a, how you say... 'fracture'? A piece of your bone had even fallen off..."  
Now, with the light coming in through the open door, you see the sheets are stained with thick blood, no doubt from your own bones. This is bad.  
"Do not fret, Sun Child. It is just a tiny bit of the bottom of your scapula, nothing that would impede you for life. You just need to rest it as much as possible. Me and my brother have already prayed to the forest Gods for you."  
The light dims as the huge posture of Omegas leans in, his eyes full of worry and guilt. Maiden turns to him, frowning lightly.  
"I told you to stay outside, he needs rest." His voice remains soft, as if afraid to hurt you with it. Omega shift his eyes away.  
"i know i know... i just, i'm sorry, i want to know how he feels? can i help somehow?" 

Yarnus lets his death grip on the blankets go for a moment to motion Omega in. Since it is Yarnus' decision, Maiden allows entry. His shirt looks like he had tried to wash off the blood but a diagonal swatch of pink remains across his chest. Omega positions himself on the side of the bed opposite of Maiden. The moment he sits down his hand is grasped in a viselike grip.  
"oh... ow... heh, i guess i did ask to know." The pressure doesn't let up for a moment until Maiden pulls away and Yarnus slumps against his friend with a ragged sigh.  
"I need to fetch some bandages... and stronger tea. What I gave you should have been sufficient to dull the pain for your size." Maiden's words were met with a 'pft' only before he left the two skeletons alone for a moment.  
For a while Omega sat silently caressing the smaller skull. "whatta mess we've got."  
"I...I'm sŏɍry...I...I..." Yarnus fumbles over his words as Omega consoled him. "I cöulďn't do it. I cōulďn't 'judgė' him. I kȩpt finďing wăys tō fôɍgīⱴe hïm, to seȩ fɍom his pĕrsƥèctive ȩven if I côuldn't ũse my śight...and...and... I was wɍõng... so wɍòng."  
Maiden returned with a large steaming bowl in his hands and another cup of foulness. "This one should be enough to numb the pain if you were his size," gesturing towards Omega. Yarnus took the cup and watched as the bowl was brought to the other side of the bed. "We should clean you up. If you don't wish for your friend to help, I am more than willing. Afterwards I'll dress your wound. But for now, drink up, I'll need to know if I made it too strong."  
Yarnus wasted no time swallowing whatever concoction it was. The pain he had felt was something he didn't want to experience again. It's effects were almost immediate. Everything became warm and fuzzy. The slow rhythmic sway of Maidens tail caught his eye and he reached out to touch it, but his depth perception was several feet off and he ended up swatting at the air.  
"Perhaps that was too much?" The horned being watched as Yarnus swayed in bed with a goofy look on his face.  
"Naùℊh, jūs 'nogĦ I saɏ.... I ȿāy," he drawled before reaching over to pat Omega's face. "I'ℳ gƱd... wè'ér gƱd."  
Maiden left again to give the skeletons privacy. "Call me when you're ready to be bandaged or if he starts to bleed again." Yarnus was unaware of the look given to Omega before he left. "Do be careful with him." 

The door closes with a little click, voices coming from the other side, but you can barely recognize a word in this state. Your head is spinning and your eyes are unfocused, a pleasant warm feeling spreading from the tips of your digits throughout your body. Everything feels... so much better. You can't even remember what got you so sad in the first place.  
Omega, the big warm huggable lovable skeleton teddybear, sits beside you in silence, letting you lean onto him. You try to tell him how great he is and how much you love him, but your mouth is not cooperating with your head so what comes out is just slurred nonsense. The big skeleton smiles, the lights of his eyes two soft blue hazy dots in the darkness, as he leans in and you feel his teeth against your forehead. He pulls back, taking his shirt off and leaning back in for another kiss. Then his arms very gently dig under you and lift you up from the bed, his calm sweet whispering reaching your ears without any information getting through. He carries you a short distance, then carefully sits you down and you make a weird noise, surprised by the sudden feeling before realizing it's just warm water.  
"come on now lill fella, let’s gechya clean," he says softly, "cleanliness is next to godliness ey? heheh..."  
The water is so warm and comfortable, you let out a long content sigh. You feel Omega caress you lightly, splashing the water over one side of your back before very carefully dripping some onto the other side. There's a bit of itching, but you barely even notice it over the warm fuzziness throughout your very being. Omega takes a piece of cloth, gets it wet and starts to carefully dip around your scapula, all the while holding you up with his other arm.  
"i'm so sorry lill guy, i shoud've protected ya better. i should've done somethin, anythin, n this all could've been avoided..." He sighs deeply, splashing some water over your chest too, the warm droplets cascading over your ectobelly.  
"but tell ya the truth, i ain't really great at solvin conflicts. i usually just make friends n lovers and things go well. too bad not everybody wants to just chill out n have a good meal n get laid, huh? i wish i was more useful back there..."  
Even while out of it you kinda get what he's saying. You stare up at him, trying to concentrate, although it's about as easy as fishing with no hook. Slowly you lift your hand, trying to console him, but manage only to hit him on the face with the back of your hand. Omega flinches, then chuckles, helping you to get your hand on his jawline where you wanted it. You try to tell him everything's alright, there's nothing to worry about. You aren't so sure your message is getting across.  
Smiling warmly, Omega pets your skull, then leans down to kiss you. "no worries lill buddy, there's still hope. we're still alive..." He holds you closer. "n we helped everybody we could. we'll continue to do our best, right?" You feel two drops of warm, slightly blue-ish water land on your chest. "we can still make it, right? let’s not give up... please don't give up on me..." 

Oh no, Omega has a sad. The small skeleton can’t help but to search his fuzzy noggin for a way to fix this problem. What had made him all happy and warm? The cup. Yarnus looks around and finds the cup just out of his reach.  
"whats that? oh, yer wanting more of the pain medicine?" Omega fetches the cup and finds there’s still some remaining in the bottom. "theres a touch left, drink up and i’ll get maiden in here to patch you up good. Howsaboutit."  
The look on his little scheming face is one of pure joy as he is handed the cup, but it fades as Omega goes to unlock the door. How would he get the big guy to drink the rest when…? The cup was already up to his own mouth by instinct when he gets the idea. Forming a tongue he let the remnant of the fluid pool on it. The taste wasn’t that bad once you got used to it. Very earthy, some river plants of some sort, mushrooms most definitely, herbs, and a fizzyness that he couldn’t quite place. He was still contemplating the flavours when Omega came to lift him out of the water.  
"alright lill guy. sorry bout this next bit. but’cha got to git heal’d up right" The sheets were a bit too thin to help dry him off so Omega flipped his parka over and nestled him inside, using Tzacls shawl to dry him off and to tuck around his pelvis. As Omega bent down Yarnus took advantage of the position, running the tip of his tongue across the others teeth.  
"hmmm? oh..." Omega practically purred, and braced himself up with one arm. He ducked down for another deep kiss only to be greeted with a wet orifice filled with Yarnus’ saliva mixed with what tasted like the bottom of a shoe found in a bog. "ugh… oh dude… i’m gunna havta take a rain check on dat..." He dissipated his tongue but the flavor still remained. "Gah….u’v a stonger gut dan me…" A confused look crossed his face as he looked down on the innocent-yet-shiteating grin on the injured skelton. "didgeridoo a porpoise?" The room seemed to have gotten a bit warmer and Omega just decided to sit on the floor as Maiden walked in. 

The tall lanky silhouette of the horned skeleton walks in, only to clap all four hand together in shock.  
"Oh dear, a-are you-?" He stops, walking over. Omega chuckles, then laughs, silently but persistently. Maiden grabs him under the chin with one pair of arms, the other at his sides as he frowns.  
"What on earth? Did you drink the medicine I gave to you smaller friend?" Omega shakes his head, still laughing.  
"naaaaaaaah he got it 'n me' mouhthbbhbbmmhbhm..."  
Maiden doesn't look very pleased, shaking his head in disbelief.  
"U všech rohatejch..." But then he looks down at Omega, his eyes still wet from tears he shed just seconds ago. He sighs lightly, using all his hands to help Omega on his feet with you in his arms. "Ah well, I suppose you could also use some pain relief, yes? You've both had quite a day..."  
Slowly and with difficulty he gets Omega to sit down on the bed, you laying in his arms. Omega falls back, leaving you on his lap, and Maiden holds you gently as he begins to patch you up. You aren't exactly sure what's going on, but don't really have the willpower to fight back. Your shoulder lightly itches, but only for a moment. Maiden fixes you a pretty bow on your humerus, your shoulder feeling somehow more still and firm.  
"There you go little one, you just relax now and get your rest. I am sure you and your friend will rest easy with the other at your side..." As he talks he covers you up with another sheet, then throws a fur cover over you for good measure. "There there, sleep well now."  
"i dunn'wannah go sleep yet paps, ya always mad 't me fourh sleep'n on the job but thn ye wannm' tuh slllppp..." Omegas blabbered speech ends with a loud snore. Maiden pushes you gently towards the big skeleton, patting you both comfortingly before slowly walking out.  
He meets with Snork in the doorway, the smaller four armed skeleton looking a little concerned.  
"the hell happen'd," he asks, gesturing to you with a nod of his horned head. Maiden puts a finger over his teeth to show him to be more silent.  
"Our big friend seems to have drank some of my medicine, too. Lets leave them to rest now, we can sleep in the boat." Snork sighs lightly, then a third posture appears in the door.  
"ARE YOU TELLING ME THEY HAVE CLAIMED THE WHOLE BED FOR THEMSELVES?" Tzacls loud whispering voice is heard.  
"Come now Tzacl, we'll find you a place to sleep. There's some fresh hay bales in the goat hutch..."  
You hear the tall skeleton grumbling, the door slowly closing. You find yourself alone, only with the enormous snoring form of your big friend.  
For a long time you're just staring into the darkness, silently chuckling to yourself from time to time. Outside it's completely silent, the flickering light now gone. Omega's enormous frame is now hugged around you closely, everything feels so dandy...  
Suddenly, you notice noise at the door. Lifting your head a bit you notice Tzacl, slowly coming in. He looks around, then tiptoes to the bed, carefully walking around it. Eventually he finds a bit of free space, silently sneaking in next to you. You can feel his brother's arm searching around slowly, exploring what the textures the sheets have to offer. 

For a while Yarnus just stares at the lanky skeleton in the dark, not upset in the slightest, more… happy, for lack of a better word at the moment. Despite the grogginess in his head Yarnus remembers bits of the previous day, but mainly a strong feeling about the normally brash skeleton. With his damaged arm he reaches out to touch either of the brothers arms that he happens to reach. It’s Grolom’s arm that reacts with a bit of a flinch. Tzacl notices and raises his other arm to bat the offending limb when he realizes that it’s the injured one. Stopping himself he simply huffs and looks in the opposite direction.  
For a minute or so the two limbs explore each other before Yarnus gently picks up the other and places it on Tzacls chest like he had seen before. For a moment the tall skeleton thought he could finally get some peace, however Yarnus then took his hand as well, placing it on his brothers. The diminutive hand then threaded itself between the brothers fingers and Tzacl could feel the small body press against his side.  
"TeĦ ȿ-laĦ…" the small skeleton slurred against his side. "Bråⱴè ⱦĕh s-lah."  
Tzacl had no idea if the gibberish even meant anything, but trying to get answers from the now snoring skeleton was pointless. But something about it felt… familiar. 

You fall asleep, even in your fuzzy state kind of surprised Tzacl doesn't push you away. You slip into beautiful restful slumber, dreaming about being at home in a fishing boat with Tzacl and Omega.  
When you wake up, everything has stopped spinning. Slowly you open your eyes, the light coming from outside letting you see clearly around for a change.  
You're squished between the two bigger skeletons. Groloms arm is pressed to yours while Tzacl has you pressed to his chest, held close by Omega hugging you both. They're still asleep, only you awake. From outside you hear the soothing sound of the river flow and the baas of the goats, as well as what you think might be Maiden and Snork talking to each other silently. 

It surprised Yarnus that he was the first to wake considering the amount of blood that he had previously woken up in. But then again he hadn't sprinted through a terror filled town and traveled all the way back to the cottage. A cottage that had been a solid days walk away from the town that took a day to traverse. Just how long had he been out? Even running it would have taken full day and possibly the night if the cycles had remained the same since... No, he couldn't dwell on that.  
His stuttering breath was met with a deep sigh behind him. "morn'n champ. how ya do'in"  
"Faíɍ to mîddling. How äbout yoū? I had no ïdɇa thåt medicine would áffect you that mưch... 'm soɍry." That earned the little skeleton a good squeeze.  
"can't say u were in yer right mind, but no 'arm no foul. did look like ya was hav'n fun." There was a press of teeth to the top of Yarnus' skull. "speak'n of foul i notice we've got company... in bed." That earned Omega an elbow to the belly, which in turn earned Yarnus sharp pain and a yelp.  
"WHO DARES...." Tzacl was up on all fours within seconds of the outcry. Wild eyes whipping back and forth searching the room for dangers before realizing the situation. "YOU OAF. HE NEEDS HIS REST. NOT YOU MANHANDLING HIM AT THE CRACK OF MORNING."  
"oi! i don't 'member 'viting yer scrawny hide in'ta bed!"  
"WELL AT LEAST I..."  
"ŞȾⓄⱣ"  
Yarnus held his brow as he glared at both the skeletons that were now squaring off on either side of the bed. "Yóur fighⱦing îs more Ƥaĭnful than my shoulder. ⱣLEȺSE... căn yoũ twō ⱦry tö be civïl... for my ȿąke." 

"WELL I AM FOR ONE JUST TRYING TO..." Tzacl trails off, going silent. He sighs lightly, laying back down. "I APOLOGIZE... HEARING YOU SHRIEK IN PAIN HAD SIMPLY GOTTEN ME WORRIED-" He turns to you sharply. "-THAT A HOSTILE INTRUDER MIGHT BE ABOUT! JUST TO BE CLEAR..." He turns back to the ceiling, but his attention is soon brought back as Omega begins to chuckle.  
"gosh tzacl yer so damn tsundere." Tzacl raises an eye arch in question.  
"...WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?" Omega wipes his face in his sleeve, shaking his head.  
"nothin, nothin..." he utters, laying on his back back on the bed with a long amused exhale. He chuckles a few more times. Then it goes silent.  
All three of you lay there in silence. Finally, Omega speaks up, but his voice is far from joyous as it was before.  
"what now?"  
There's no response for a long time. Tzacl sighs heavily.  
"I SUPPOSE WE ESCAPE AND HOPE WON ONLY WANTED THE ZWEZYR CITY..." Omega nods, but soon turns his head to you and Tzacl.  
"...what if... what if he doesn't stop there? what if he..." Omega stops, letting out a shaky exhale, while Tzacl remains silent.  


"Wĕ nêēd hĕlp."  
"u could say that again" Omega gives a strained chuckle.  
"No really… We’re just threê mònsters. Wôn’s a god nöw. He saíd himsèlf thāt he wăs goïng to dëstrõy Zwēzyr… ⱦhēn Ϣhat?" Yarnus sat up with a bit of difficulty then turned to sit cross legged between his two morose companions. "He had pƚanȿ… BIG plans. Hĕ…" Yarnus eyes went unfocused for a bit in thought. "Zero didn’t bring thāⱦ ȼanȵon...Thosĕ eℳptɏ beȡȿ...The döor… PeɌlö…"  
"woah , hold on. yer not talk’n..."  
"PERLO WAS ONLY A RIVAL"  
"Perlo was á threat… or simply ïn the way. He knows ąbout Vĩólet and Måȿħėeȵka… WE told him abōut them. Hé knows... we…" Yarnus trailed off, not wanting to give voice to his suspicions but also getting a bit dizzy headed again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments really do make Chapters come true!  
> I had been procrastinating on posting the post-Zwezyr chapters. I Ħave tô doublē cheȼk ánd rĕdo a lot oℱ ȡialógue foɍ Yārnus.  
> I'm picking up a lot of extra days at work so I won't be doing any huge chapter dumps for a while. I might limit myself to one a week. We'll see how that goes.


	32. Fallout Zwezyr

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heh... I forgot my concept of a week is 14 days. The next few months I'm working 90 hour weeks so not much time to relax.

  


The door of the room opened with a slow creak accompanied by a now familiar tall silhouette. "I see everyone is awake now. Snork and I have prepared breakfast. Come now…" He moved to the end of the bed and scooped up Yarnus. Positioning him in a chair like fashion with two arms under his femurs and one arm across his chest as he walked out into the other room. 

Being carried like this by the tall skeletal being you can't help but feel like a king. Or a toddler. Either way it's comfortable and nice of Maiden.  
You're carried outside, where you imagine the table had been brought yesterday. Maiden sits you down and gently checks the bandage before letting go of you. Snork is a short way off by a fireplace, slowly turning a spitjack with a huge slab of meat and some fish over it.  
He turns to you with calm yet subtly worried eyes. Seems like he hasn't slept much last night.  
"what ya want, fish 'r beef?" Omega sits next to you carefully, checking if you're sitting well.  


"Eïthe℞? Both? Is Ƀoth än öption?" Yarnus was hungry enough to eat anything put in front of him at this point.  
"first up sum fish den" Snork pulls off three of the fish and brings them over, placing the largest fish in front of Yarnus. "da roast go'n to take a bit long'r"  
"Tħank ɏōu." Not much else was said as Yarnus was too busy stuffing his face, pausing only to carefully lift the fish bones up and carefully laying them to the side.  
"WHAT WAS THAT FOR?" Tzacl was honestly curious as he saw not only Yarnus, but the two brothers do the same.  
"Why sir, it is bad luck to turn a fish over. Would be like wishing to capsize the boat." Maiden supplied the answer as Tzacl and Omega looked puzzled.  
"Mmℳ-ħmm.... Siȵȼe I'm fɍōm an islâȵd we ħaⱴe tħe sâme trádìtîøn I suppŏsè.."  
The breakfast passed without much conversation. Every mind was busy thinking over the previous day's events. "How ƚòng Ϣâs I oůt?" Yarnus finally questioned. "We're a good wâys fróm ⱦhë city, thąt's the làst thing I reℳembë℞." 

Snork slices off two chunks of the meat from the already cooked surface and almost throws them on your and Omega's wooden plate. Omega gets to eating instead of answering, so Tzacl, sighing in annoyance, answers instead.  
"YOU'VE BEEN OUT AN ENTIRE DAY. LUCKILY SHORTLY AFTER WE ESCAPED THE CITY WALLS WE RAN INTO SNORK AND MAIDEN IN THEIR BOAT, COMING OVER TO SEE WHAT HAD HAPPENED WITH THE LIGHT BEACON. THEY HELPED US GET TO SAFETY, BOTH YOUR UNCONSCIOUS BODY AND THE PANICKING CHUNK OF WHITE PUDDING," he gestures to Omega, but it doesn't seem like he minds, chewing down the meat. Tasting it yourself you find it to be absolutely delicious, the taste enhanced with some spicy rub. Looking over you can see Snork using a big sheaf of feathers to spread a dark brown sauce over the parts that were sliced off.  
"You were in quite the shape, all of you," Maiden says, delicately picking out pieces of meat from the fish with his slim fingers. "You were seriously injured, your big friend was panicked and scared, and Tzacl was so exhausted he collapsed in our boat and slept the whole way here. How dreadful..."  
"yah', y' were all a real mess," Snork says from over by the fire, "but n'where as bad as the damn city... we saw dem fire lights all da way from the for'st." 

Yarnus slowly chewed on the meat. If it wasn't for the flavor he probably would have lost his appetite at the mention of the city on fire. Though the way Snork talked about the cave-dwellers previously the horned fellow was probably happy about their fates.  
"Whåt wĭƚƚ ɏou twö ȡö? Won hás alƚ the pòwèr ⱦħe prēvioüs leader Ħad, ƥerhaps møre áfteɌ he ȡeȿtɍoyed the city. TĦŏusaȵdȿ of sôuƚs... aȵȡ posȿĭbƚɏ the human one persiȿted äȿ Ϣell." He paused to take in the reaction of the brothers. "What aɃouⱦ yòur ƥéopƚe. Whaⱦ can tĦey dõ ⱦo ƥrotecⱦ themselⱴes?" 

They stop what they're doing, staring at you with their empty eye sockets for a moment. Maiden looks to Snork, as if expecting him to have the answer, but Snork just turns away, resuming spinning the roast.  
"I... I'm afraid our people don't have much of anything... not even one another these days..."  
"yeh', dem clans 'ave disbanded a long time 'go," Snork says, trying to sound indifferent, but you can tell he's sad about that fact.  
"But- why would Won want to get us? We're just the descendants of broken code and dust, we don't have riches or technology, we don't even have any magic!"  
"wait-" Omega swallows what he has in his mouth to speak, "you guys are codelings?" Snork scoffs.  
"das an awf'lly harsh way to put 'et..."  
"Well," Maiden taps the fingers of both pairs of arms together, "technically, yes... we're more so, the children of the Codelings, yes?" Omega seems very surprised.  
"really??? huh, i... i thought you were just some weird versions of me n my bro..."  
"NOT EVERYBODY FITS THOSE TWO CATEGORIES YOU KNOW? HOW INSENSITIVE!" 

Yarnus is thoroughly confused. It wasn't the first time Tzacl had gotten upset over Omega comparing people to himself and his brother. But the more confusing part was what Omega was talking about. "Cŏdelings? What â℞e yoũ tălkĩng äbóŭt? Dust ăȵȡ... Ϣhąⱦ?"  
Everyone was looking at him again. It wasn't like the last time though. "I thòught you guys were simila℞ to cānīmórphȿ since ɏou meȵtioned ɏoù used to have söℳe ȿort of cōȵȵectiön ⱦô them. Tħough Snork kîȵda ɍêmĩnȡs me of Omega, I guēss." 

Snork scoffs again, just pointing with one left hand to Omega and the other to himself, his expression a clear disagreement with what you said. Omega just laughs silently, shrugging at him, mouth full of food once again.  
"YOU ARE REALLY SO NESCIENT OF THE WAY OF THE VOID!" Tzacl shakes his head at you dismissively.  
"ey give him a break, he got here just like two weeks ago!" Omega talks back to him, then looks at you with a friendly smile.  
"codelings are a type of creatures, like origons, reminds, hacks or glitches. codelings are created the same way as glitches, by the 'code', meanin existence itself, messin up. in this case it was probably because of the Ωmega hub." He looks to Maiden who nods in agreement. "the difference between codelings and glitches is that codelings are stable and don't spread the mess anymore, unlike glitches who are so messed up they fuck up the very fabric of space just by existin."  
"Such scary and dreadful creatures - but one can't but feel sorry for them, too... some of them used to be like you or me." Inadvertently you notice Tzacl looking down at Groloms arm, touching around the table and inspecting its ridges. A light sigh escapes him but he quickly goes back to looking like nothing happened.  
"some of my friends fell into the undervoid..." Omega looks away with sorrow. "there are lucky exceptions, but not many make it out unharmed." 

The strange words fly over Yarnus' head, but the talk of one catches his attention. "Glįtcħeš? Tħey sprëaȡ?" He reaches up to his skull with a frantic look. "That's ȵøt what'ȿ ĭn mę iȿ íⱦ? I... Į have beęn ⱦälkīng st℞añge ɍecentłɏ." 

Once again everybody at the table looks at you, rather worried. Omega puts a hand on your good shoulder, turning you to him and looking more closely into your eye sockets, as if examining you.  
"...well," he says unsurely, "it couldda been one... ya said ya found him under the tree, in the darkness?" You just nod.  
"Oh dear, he was in the Undervoid?" Maiden points to you with worry. Tzacls eyes blaze up.  
"HE WAS DOWN THERE?!" he almost stands up with shock, wiping his arms into the black underclothes, since he doesn't have his armour on. "AND I HAD TOUCHED HIM!!!"  
"geez tzacl, chill, a lotta folk went down there for a lill," Omega mutters, still staring into your eyes, "dunn mean nothin... it could've been a codeling, or a remind."  
"AH PLEASE, IT WAS A GLITCH ALRIGHT!" Tzacl says with anger. "I HAPPENED TO TALK TO IT WHEN I ASKED IF IT HAD SEEN, WELL, YOU KNOW... IT WAS A TAD TOO FRIENDLY TOO, IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN. BUT NO FILTHY VOID CREATURE WILL TOUCH TZACL THE HORRIBLE, ESPECIALLY NOT A DISGUSTING GLITCH!!!"  
"tzacl calm down! even if it was a glitch - that still dunn mean yarnus is messed up too!" Omega holds you a bit closer, "it could've been an overglitch." He turns to you. "overglitches are glitches that become stable over time. i think a long long long time ago some sans fell in there, glitched out, then stabilized again. don't you think yarnus would've been a bit more messy if he really got so close to one?" he says to Tzacl who turns away with a scoff.  
"I suppose not... if he had, it would cause much worse than just a little different speech," Maiden nods. Omega nods back, turning to Tzacl victoriously.  
"see? told ya. not everybody who gets into the undervoid ends up-"  
"OH, AND YOU KNOW SO MUCH ABOUT IT DON'T YOU!?!" Tzacl yells, almost shaking with anger, "WELL IF YOU ARE SO SMART WHY DON'T YOU GO IN THERE?!? I BET THERE IS PLENTY OF FOLK WHO NEED YOU AND YOUR AMAZING RESCUE ABILITIES!!!" Omega just stares back in confusion.  
"...you okay tzacl? i-i'm sorry if i said something to offend ya i didn't-"  
"WHO'S OFFENDED?!?"  
"well y'er, obviously," Snork says flatly. Tzacl whips his head away furiously, then back to Omega.  
"I CAN'T BELIEVE I WASTED MY TIME WITH SUCH INSUFFERABLE CLEVER-CLOGS!" He begins to stomp away, much to Omegas distress.  
"tzacl what did i-"  
"DON'T TALK TO ME!" Then he disappears between the trees. All goes silent, except the silent screeching of the rotating skewer, continuing since it seems like Snork doesn't care much about the situation. Maiden is looking after him with just as much worry as Omega, who now turns to you, confused.  
"what'd i say?" He seems guilty, even if he doesn't know for what. "s-should i-"  
"nah, leave 'im be," Snork murmurs, "man left 'is arm'r 'ere, 'e'll be back soon..." 

"Hê dįȡn't lōse hiȿ arm...he løst Ħis brôtħęɍ." The words were barely audible.  
"wadja say?"  
Yarnus turned away from watching where Tzacl went. "Don't sãy I tołd yoŭ, būt hĩs ęxtra ærm ìs hís brøthers. I thińk his brothėr is stįlł in the Ündervöĭd" Yarnus fiddled with what little remained of his meal before turning to Omega.  
"I thïnk whät was ündèr the tręé mĩght hávę beeñ ån Överglîtçh. My hėad... whât he did wæs ón purpose. I hè häd beęn just a głitçh.... it woûld be mŏ℞e notîcablę... ełsēwhęre." 

Omega raises an eye arch, then begins to chuckle. Much to your appreciation he says nothing, just silently laughs.  
Maiden looks very sad, staring where the tall skeleton had left.  
"Oh dear, that's awful! Poor soul..." He gets up and goes to his brother, who looks up at him questioningly. Maiden squats down to Snork and wraps all of his arms around him. Snork closes his eyes, gently laying two hand over his, their horns clicking together lightly.  
"You will never leave me, will you? We'll never be apart..." Maiden says. Snork smiles softly and pats him comfortingly.  
"'f course not maid'n, i'd never leave ye." He hold onto his brother a little closer, both obviously glad to have the other safe and sound. You realize Omega had stopped chuckling a while ago as you feel his hand hold you a bit closer again, lightly sighing.  
"they may not be their versions... but they sure act like one, heh." He lightly places his head to yours. "i'm glad we all got outta that alive man, i dunno what i'd do if..."  
He trails off, raising his head. You look up to see what interrupted him, seeing him stare off to the river path, so you look too. Two huge armoured skeletal creatures with crooked teeth are approaching, each wielding a massive spear. They are slowly walking towards you, but it seems they have an exact intent.  
"what do dey want 'ere??" Snork growls silently. Maiden pats him on the skull.  
"Be calm, let's hear them out first."  
They are still a good distance away, giving you enough time to prepare yourself or make a run for it should you want to. 

"Prȯbably to give the sáme ultimatuṃ he gave the ćity." Yarnus stood and braced himself against Omega. What a sight he must be, standing nearly naked save for Tzacl's red fabric and Maiden's bow. Perhaps they'd assume he's a child again. Though the look in his eyes would set them on edge. He may not have been able to read Won, but if the town had been previously controlled by Equilibria's knowledge of their souls... then he could at least try get under their metaphorical skin if needed. His eyes were active and watching their every move as they approached. 

You don't have to look too hard, both of their wills not stronger than a drunk sailors. You see fear, great great fear in them. You see they're afraid for their lives, but at the same time, they aren't regretful for what they're about to do.  
They come to you, Maiden and Snork getting up and standing there cautiously, ready to react if something were to go down. One of the soldiers comes forth, taking a rolled piece of pergament from underneath his armour and showing it to you all.  
"In the narme of our newr learder, your are requirerd to surrenrder yourselvers and yer belorngings to hirm. Whorever dernies thirs wirll be exercuted imerdiatelry."  
"WHAT?!" Snork yells, "WHAT 'RE YA TALKIN 'BOUT?!?"  
"Are your resisrting the newr order??" the other guard lifts his weapon. Maiden puts his hands on Snork gently.  
"We don't want any trouble, we just-"  
"'F COURSE WE'R RESISTIN!!! YER NEVER GUNN TAKE ME TURF!!! OVA' MY DEAD BODY!"  
The guards look more than willing to fulfill that. This does not look good.  
Snorks tail is whipping angrilly this way and that, his hands at the ready like a feral animal. Maiden is trying to calm both parties down but it seems the guards won't take any apologies. They don't want any apologies. They really do want to fight and hopefully beat the life out of these two, thinking of them as filthy animals.  
It's when the guard swings his weapon at Maiden does Snork attack. His feet dig into the ground and with surprising strength he batters forth, ramming his horned head into the guards belly plate. The guard gasps in pain, the solid piece of metal bending with the impact. The other guard is already striking down onto Snork but his spear meets with all of Maidens hands. The hit guard is already getting up as the other kicks into Maiden quite hard and it's only Omegas quick reaction and sweet catch that he doesn't suffer more than a nasty kick to the ribs.  
It's on. 

"Ϣ ⍥ Ɲ Ï Ş Ƞ ⍥ Ƚ Ě Ⱥ Ɖ Ę Ʀ !" Yarnus yells as he jumps up on the table. "His Ŝ Ṯ Ợ Ḽ Ǝ Ɲ powȩr is nóthing but ƑƎȀɌ and L I Ǝ S !" His eyes burn with rage and magic, the figures before him are blurry flickering images of possibilities.  
Without his sword and no armor at all, the power of his eyes is the only thing he has. " Ȼ Ɇ Ⱥ Ş Ɇ !" 

They do cease, all of them. It seems your voice had made them wary, but the moment they actually see you all of the respect is gone. They pay you no more mind, one of them hitting Snork quite hard, luckily striking his horn instead of his skull. It doesn't even chip despite the strong impact, they must be incredibly tough.  
At the sight of his brother being struck Maiden suddenly goes from pacifistic and mild to a furious four armed nightmare. He uses all arms to push himself forward from Omega and with a single strong leap and a quite horrifying scream lands on the attacking guard, clawing and biting at him violently. Both guards begin to fight him while Snork batters with his horns some more, Omega running in to help incapacitate them with his strong hold. It seems victory is yours, then one of them yells out loudly towards where they came from. In just a moment another guard runs in with a huge chain in his hand, and your marrow turns with horror when you see what's bound on the other end of it.  
It looks like a canimorph crossed with everything feral and dangerous there is. A huge bulky form of a canine like appearance with enormous claws and teeth. One look in its eyes tells you all it knows is fighting, its bones covered with scars from claws and whips alike. It begins to attack before the guard even directs it to, running to you and barking furiously.  
It's a split second. You look to Maiden and Snork and you clearly see - they can't fight this thing. Even in this state, it's a sacred creature to them. It would be as if you had to beat up your own royalty.  
Ironically, it's only thanks to the creatures overeagerness that the first strike doesn't kill either of them. One of the guards doesn't dodge in time and the creature grabs him in its enormous maw, shaking him violently with vicious growls before throwing him into the water, badly injured.  
This gives Omega enough time and the next strike goes onto his prepared arms, holding the jaws away with all his might. Both Maiden and Snork are too shaken to move, but you can hear Tzacl running in from behind, his fast light steps now very familiar to you.  


"Geţ ofḟ ợf hiṃ!" Yarnus screams as he propels himself off the table and at the front leg of the canimorph. The sound of bones scraping against bone is all he can hear as he scrambles up the canine heading for its neck. The annoyance is just enough for it to be distracted, earning itself a blow to the head courtesy of Omega. The strike doesn’t faze it for long but instead of lunging at its attacker it begins to flail about. Omega is confused as the canimorph deeply growls and begins to furiously whip its head back and forth searching for something. Once it spins around he sees Yarnus planted just behind its skull on a wide saddle like cervical bone.  
"git down from… no… hang on!" Omega yells as he runs into the cottage. The sword! He couldn’t remember if it had been left behind or not. Shouldn’t be to hard to find in the small cottage. Looking out the window he could see Tzacl joining the fray while the canimorph took odd strides through the Maiden’s garden, kicking up soil as he tried to dislodge his rider.  
The smaller skeleton was already holding on as tightly as he could. Attempting to look this creature in the eyes would have been a sure death sentence. The only other option was to try dominance. "Don’ŧ aŧtack us!" he yelled towards the base of it’s skull. "Wę arn’t yoũr eněmy." A violent jerk nearly dislodged the skeleton. "Seęk ĴÜŠŤĨĊĒ!" Before he could be shook again Yarnus latched down on its spine. Legs, arms, even teeth, held on with sheer determination. 

The creature doesn't seem to listen, getting more and more furious, thrashing around in blind rage. You hold onto it as tightly as you can, doing quite well to keep your spot despite the canimorphs best efforts to shake you off and tear you to shreds.  
Omega runs out of the cottage with the pearlescent sword, in his hand it looks way smaller than it actually is. He seems unsure of what to do now, he can't really throw it to you, you can't let go and you sure as hell wouldn't be able to catch it on the wildly swinging beast. He stands these with panic, staring at you, begging for directions.  
Tzacl is meanwhile fighting off the two remaining guards with Snork and Maiden. He manages to knock him on his knees and Snork batters him right on the skull so hard he knocks him out immediately. Meanwhile Maiden is clawing at the other with unbridled fury and bloodlust, the guard barely keeping him away. Tzacl leaves the two horned brothers to deal with the last guard, running to you.  
"GET OFF OF IT!" he yells at you, "I CAN'T KILL IT LIKE THIS - I MIGHT HIT YOU!!!" 

Jumping really doesn’t sound like a great idea. Neither does being impaled by Tzacl’s attacks. Yarnus doesn't get the chance as the creature flips its head to the side and throws itself into the ground, almost like scratching an itch as it grinds the small skeleton into the garden. Dirt flies everywhere as it shakes its skeletal form above Yarnus. His bandage had been worked loose and the smell of the wound catches the canimorphs attention. Yarnus remains perfectly still concealed in dirt as the creature's snout passes over him searching.  
"GET AWAY FROM HIM!"  
Yarnus isn’t sure how he would be able to escape at this point, but the yell brings the giant skull to turn around. Moments later a barrage of attacks impales the creature and heavy footsteps rapidly approach.  
"Şo thiş is my sødd’n enď…"  
Firm hands lift him up and shake him. It’s not until he notices the lighter touches that he bothers to open his eyes. Omega is brushing the dirt off him and checking for injuries before pulling him into a smothering embrace.  
"by the stars lill dude" He pulls away and looks down. "yer a mess and…" his cheeks dust a familiar blue. "um… ur show’n a bit…"  
The nude skeleton looked down at the red fabric draped around his feet and the formed magic hanging between his legs. "Oh¿ Oŏps." Yarnus picked up the shawl, wrapping it around his waist and a loop over his shoulder. 

The moment is interrupted when Tzacl flies by, knocked away by the beast quite far. He tumbles over but quickly rolls over to his feet again, resuming his attacks once again. The beast is growling and barking, sometimes both at the same time, bits of saliva flying out of its foaming maw.  
It lunges after Tzacl but before it can reach him Omega notices the chain, still attached to its neck. It takes him a milisecond of thought to quickly put you down and grab it, in retrospect not the best idea. The creature's immense force pulls him along, although with some difficulty. Tzacl dodges the attacks as the creature relentlessly chomps at him, Omega hanging onto the chain trying to find his footing. Snork and Maiden are fighting the last guard, who is proving to be a bit stronger than his companions.  
Despite both skeletons efforts the beast finally reaches Tzacl, luckily only ramming into him with its snout and sending him flying away again instead of grabbing him in its enormous jaws. Tzacl produces an unflattering shriek as he flies high into the air like a kicked ball, then the creature turns to you. You can see the battle madness in its eyes, foam dripping from its mouth. Looking into the crimson magic circles you feel its fear and pain, almost hearing the cracking of the whip that drives it to this bloodlusting insanity. There's no time to see more of its soul however, as it digs its claws into the ground, throwing back tufts and dirt as it begins to run your way. Omega yells at you to run as time seems to be slowing down.  
You're too weak to use your eyes. You're in pain, but only in your shoulder, your legs work just fine. Behind you is the river and the forest. In the middle of the river is Maiden and Snorks boat.  
Trees could slow it down, potentially.  
It's already halfway to you.  
You have to think fast.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yarnus arrives into grasslands  
> god: awoken  
> zwezyr: destroyed  
> dick: out  
> yarnus is forcibly removed from the grasslands


	33. Full Metal Hugs

  


Yarnus bolts for the boat. Snarls and yells are close behind him as he runs like a scared rabbit. The beast would follow. This would give Tzacl time to attack, they'll be safe... everything would be... His thoughts were disrupted by growl far too close for comfort. Sending as much magic to his legs he ran faster and leapt towards the drifting boat.  
The wood groaned at the impact but remained sturdy. His momentum from the jump propelled it across the river nearly to the other bank. Panting he looked back at the fight he left behind.  


  
You didn't leave the fight behind. The fight follows you, with furious barking and rattling of the chain.  
The creature lands into the water with its front legs, creating a huge wave that throws you off the boat onto the other bank. You don't even think, taking advantage of the short slowdown and haul ass into the woods, hoping to slow the creature down in the thick underbrush.  
Your eyes are wildly scanning all around for the fastest route. Everything else completely disappears from your head, you just feel the strength in your legs, the heavy thuds of the beast behind you, the breath on your back.  
You run through the trees and bushes, feeling your shoulder firing up with pain, but you couldn't will yourself to stop if you wanted to. The beast is slightly slowed down tearing the bushes with its claws and breaking its way through the trees with it enormous sturdy head like a-  
You trip. Your whole body strains with effort to keep you running, but there's no use. You tumble on your side into the muddy forest bed, your momentum sliding you a little further under a fallen tree. Not even a second after the creature smacks its teeth against it, its claws digging into the old wood, trying to get to you with furious desperation. You feel your soul beating out of your chest, knowing there's nothing you can protect yourself with.  
Suddenly, the creature stops. It raises its head towards something that you can't see. You hear a heavy sound from far away, so familiar but... you can't put your finger on it in your terrified state.  
There's a... strange loud sound from far away. The creature is breathing fast, foam still dripping off its teeth, but it listens in despite its previous insanity.  
The sound echoes again, closer this time. The creature lifts its head up high and lets out a long loud howl in response. The reply soon follows, even closer. You just wait with shallow breath.  
Bright lights land on the beast's huge posture, the sound of trees being pushed away echoing loudly in the forest. You can't see anything but the creature, seeing it breathing faster, getting back into a hostile posture again. It howls again, more menacing this time, then begins to growl loudly. The sound of the approaching attacker comes closer, so close it must be mere meters away from you.  
You flinch in shock when you hear an ear grating noise of screeching metal. The canimorph, so fearless and bloodthirsty, immediately pulls back, tail between its legs. It only takes a few more of those terrible sounds, accompanied by a screaming howl, before the beast turns tail and runs off into the forest.  
Then it goes silent. You sit in the mud, still panicked and not completely to your senses. It's only now that you realize it has gotten dark while the creatures were howling at one another.  
A light sound of a whistle echoes lightly into the silence. It's two little high pitched toots. Everything starts to piece together and you come out of hiding to see if that is who you think that is.  
You're blinded by the strong light of the reflectors, a huge smile spreading over your face.  
It's her. The massive machine stares down at you, blinking a few times before letting out the same sound as before, just louder. You can't see her too well in the darkness, but you see she definitely looks a lot different than before, just judging by the much better sculpted faceplate. She drives closer to you, eager yet careful, enormous ridged tires where her wheels used to be. Her body is now instead of massive solid plates made of many smaller parts, giving her much more freedom of movement, her body adjusting to the uneven terrain.  
She nudges her face into you playfully, her vast set of whistles producing a cacophony of pure excitement.  


"Oh Māsheénka! I’m so glåd you fouñd me! You... you såved me." Yarnus hugs her face as the ruckus continues. He doesn’t move or say much until she calms down to the occasional puff. She backs away and he slumps against her a moment before standing on his own again. Even she can tell how tired he is.  
The woods are amazingly dark as she turns to her side, exposing a foot ladder to Yarnus. It's low enough for him to pull himself up even with an injured shoulder. The cab looks different, but still softly lit by the white organ that Yarnus thinks of as her heart or soul. "Ömega's acrosş the river... but thęre was a fight... noţ sure if you can crosŝ the water... you couľd... ... " he fell asleep on the floor of the cab before he could finish. 

It's warm, lightly moving with her movements, the sound of her engine and her biological functions sounding like soft purrs to you. You feel gentle touches on you, but instead of waking you up they lull you into even deeper slumber...  
A loud terrified scream wakes you up. You open your eyes to find yourself curled up by the pulsating white wall, a flap formed over you as if she was holding you with the soft magic flesh. The screaming from outside continues, but you're a little too out of it to react immediately, instead staring around.  
It looks so much better in there now, much more modern. Even the cabin is made out of smaller movable parts rather than huge bulky plates. Instead of the steering wheel there's what you presume could be a keyboard or a touch console, but it's covered up with two movable metal plates. You presume it's for her to decide to uncover it or not. You notice a small piece of paper stuck between the metal plates however.  
The screaming from outside finally snaps you to full attention. You get up and run forward to look out the front window to see Maiden and Snork staring at the huge machine, horrified.  
"WHAT IS THAT THING?! WHAT IS THAT?!?"  
"DUNN COME ANY CLOS'AH!"  
Tzacl is standing by, not as terrified but still very wary, ready to attack at any provocation. You can't see Omega with them. Masheenka is slowly inching closer, silently whistling and puffing reassuringly. It doesn't seem like they understand what she's trying to say though. 

The paper is most likely from Violet and thus important, so Yarnus grabs it before leaning out of the cab. "It'ş okay! She'ş a friěnd." The sight of the small skeleton suddenly appearing from within this 'metal beast' might have been shocking to the brothers so he quickly makes his way down and to them. "Thiš is Mašheēnka! We told yoū about heŕ before... She's juşt changěd up a bit sinƈe we've seėn her." Tzacl is still looking pointedly away as he tries to calm down the two brothers.  
"I'm so ġlad you guŷs are safė... but... whėre's Ṑmēgā?" The worry is rising in his throat. Surely Omega would have recognized her whistles. 

Both horned skeletals are still not entirely sure what to make of this, looking at Masheenka warily. The train stares them both down, unmoving, obviously unnerving them. When she puffs out idly Snork jumps aside, whipping his tail side to side with a light growl.  
Maiden, a little less unnerved than his brother, looks at you with just as much worry.  
"He is- We thought he was with you! He would not let go of the chain and got dragged after the beast and-" He stops, looking at you, rubbing his hands together nervously. "Say... I know this is probably not the time, but what had happened to the canimorph?"  
As you talk, Masheenka approaches Tzacl. The tall skeleton isn't nearly as scared by her, probably because he actually saw a train before unlike Snork or Maiden. He doesn't seem to want to have anything to do with her, whipping his head aside and walking a short distance away from her. She carefully follows, nudging into him, only to have him scoff at her and step aside again, only for her to follow behind again. Now that they're moving slowly across the ruined front yard of the cottage you can see her in all her glory, illuminated by the firelight. She is beautiful, so mobile and nimble. Her wheels are enormous with huge sharp ridges for rough terrains, but she turns them so slowly and carefully that you feel like she could pet you with one without giving you even a single scratch. As she moves you can see a very complicated set of mechanics above them on her underside, moving and fidgeting around even when she's idle. 

"She chaşed it ǭff..." The feelings of admiration and worry mixed together. "... but if Omëga was ştill hanging ontǭ the canimȱrph when şhe fȱund me, hē would have let gṓ then..." Yarnus turned to the brothers. "Hē made it acroşs the river right? He's -he's just lṓst in the woṑds. We can gṑ find him?" The small skeleton tried to force a smile, but his soul was already starting to hurt.  
  


Maiden puts his hands on your shoulders, lifting your chin up with a third.  
"Sure we will! He is a big man, he can take care of himself, surely he had just gotten lost." You can't help but smile at his efforts to assure you, despite not being sure himself. "We... we meant to move away for a while anyway, until this all blows over..." He sighs lightly, forcing a smile, "we've survived them deciding to 'finally take care of us' more than once. We have another place to live in Glasswöll, reserved especially for these occasions. I shall go and start packing enough food to make it there, we can find your lover on the way there." Maiden gently pats your skull, walking into the cottage with Snork.  
Standing there, you come to notice something that you haven't so far... The pain is gone. You are quite shocked when you realize this, reaching to your shoulder to find it has almost completely healed. You can feel the scar and the tiny missing bit, but you can finally move it without grinding your teeth in pain. It feels like somebody had taken a giant boulder off your back, a blissful sighs escaping you.  
Tzacl catches your attention again, groaning loudly and pushing at Masheenkas face to keep her away. She seemingly considers it a game and pushes back, Tzacls heels digging into the dirt as she pushes him backwards across the dirt path.  
"HOW DO YOU TURN THIS DARN THING OFF!?!" Tzacl yells with anger as Masheenka whistles excitedly. 

"Måsheënka♫" Yarnus called out while trying to not laugh at their interaction. It was just the right amount of cuteness needed to keep out darker thoughts. "Lêave him be. We neëd to help the brothers move." He made his way over to them to enforce her behavior. Masheenka let out a disappointed whine when Tzacl finally was able to flee from her attentions. "He'll be bàck. Stay here whíle I go insiđe to help. Then we can seê about tryiñg to find Omeĝa." Yarnus trotted off towards the cottage and nearly ran into Tzacl who was standing just around the corner.  
"WILL IT CONTINUE THAT NONSENSE?"  
"I'm not surê, this is the firşt time I've seên her freêd." Tzacl looks a bit puzzled but Yarnus is too busy unfolding the paper he had found. "There were tĥree guardş I saw... did anŷ of them eşcape?" He didn't mind at all that the tall skeleton was looking over his shoulder as he examined the paper.  


What you thought was a piece of paper is actually a small envelope with a letter. It's written in a very neat and beautiful handwriting and smells like motor oil and magic residue.  
Greeting Yarnus, Omega.  
I believe this message will reach your hands, for why else would Masheenka try to leave so early so eagerly? I sincerely hope you're both okay and in good spirits.  
I made many adjustments to try and make a body as perfect for her as possible. This was not an easy task, there were many instances where I just couldn't figure out how to work around her limitations. This is not her final state and I hope to work on her more once she returns. I would've added more motion to her facial area, but she longed for you so much I couldn't possibly hold her back any longer. So far I only installed a new version of her eyelids that should be able to turn to give her the ability to grimace, though I haven’t seen her use it yet.  
I gave her a much wider range of motorics and motion, added some hydraulics for greater strength and enhanced her sensorics as well as her vocal range. She should also be able to vocalize using a synthesizer, but it might be a bit too complex for her to process properly.  
Finally, I gave her all the freedom I could, not including letting her go to find you. When I dug deeper I found many biological parts that had been sealed with metal plating, welding or screws. I undid every single one I found to give her as much comfort and let her decide on her own where she wants her internal organs to be. Don't mind if you see her insides prolapse into the open when she's idle, she has full control over them and does with them as she pleases.  
My children and I hope to see you return unharmed and accomplished so that we may cook more delicious meals together :)  
Best regards,  
Violet  
As you finish reading you see Tzacl has been reading over your shoulder. Once he finishes he looks over to the train that is now standing there silently, her unmoving eyes fixated at you in her usual stare. After a moment she looks to the ground and you can see her now much more mobile wheel slide forward, digging at the uneven ground until she picks out a small stone. She backs off a bit to have a better look, examining it silently, pushing it around with her corrugated wheel. She can't turn them horizontally, but she works around it exceptionally.  
Tzacl still seems on edge with the enormous living machine, but you can see in his eyes he's seeing her in better light after reading the letter.  


"We shôuld make ôurselves usefúl and help the brotheŗs pack." Yarnus stepped inside and looked around. Maiden was in the kitchen gathering herbs while Snork tended to some other things while grumbling in a corner.  
"Your belongings are in the bedroom. I’m afraid there’s no time to launder your items. We should linger here no longer than is necessary."  
Tzacl followed Yarnus into the room they three had shared the previous night. He milled about as Yarnus gathered things from the room. The back plate was picked up and examined closely. Omega had torn the metal like it was paper and even Tzacl could find that impressive. It didn’t take long for Yarnus to shove his dirty kilt into the backpack and he tossed the breastplate of his cuirass onto the bed… right on top of Omegas parka. His hands shook a little as he pulled it off and held it tightly, turning away so Tzacl couldn’t see his face.  
Maiden followed the two into the room a short while later, a small sad smile crossed his face at the sight of Omega’s parka embraced by the small skeleton.  
"It will be cold in Glasswöll. You will…I mean... your friend will need that. But I have something put aside that would fit you better." The tall codeling reached up and removed a package that was placed on a high shelf. "This was Snork’s last striped outfit. I kept it for sentimental reasons, but putting it to use would be much better, yes?" He carefully unwrapped the parcel and held up a woolen sweater. The stripes were green and orange with a bit of rust color blended into both of them. There was also a rusty red set of overalls and green booties and mittens. All in all it was a cute outfit...for a child. "Perhaps the jumper is too warm for now, but for now you can wear these." Maiden handed over the overalls and repackaged the rest. "As for you," He addressed Tzacl. "You may be more comfortable in one of my shirts and I should have a spare cloak available to keep you warm."  
"I HAVE NO NEED OF YOUR HAND OUTS. I AM PERFECTLY FINE IN ANY WEATHER CONDITIONS."  
All of Maidens hands went into the air briefly before he headed out of the room. "Take anything you feel you may need. The Zwezyr guards will likely take what they want when we are gone."  
Yarnus picked up his cuirass once more before placing it back onto the bloodied sheets. It no longer held the sentimentally that it once had. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jynxtapositon: ((Yarnus shoves the parka at Tzacl, "You're my Omega now. Dems the rules. Now hold me and kiss me and tell me I'm awesome."))  
> Tooth: ( "SURE I WILL! LOOK AT ME! I'M SO NICE AND CARING - PROBABLY BECAUSE MY HEART IS OBESE! I PICK UP PEOPLE NEEDLESSLY AND SHOVE THEIR FACE INTO MY FILTHY PARKA THAT SMELLS LIKE HUNGARIAN SAUSAGES AND SWEAT! HUE HUE HUE NOW LET’S ALL TOUCH EACH OTHERS GENITALS AND SHARE OUR MOUTH GERMS!!!" )


	34. Dashing Through The Snow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's summertime for us in the northern hemisphere, so what's better to do than to write about snow?

  
  


Coming outside you find Maiden finishing packing up and Snork opening the fence gate. The sixhorned goats run out at his command and run about, running off to the forest freely. Tzacl raises an eyearch at this.  
"WHY ARE YOU LETTING YOUR CATTLE RUN LOOSE?" Snork closes the gate back up, looking up to Tzacl lazily, but doesn't bother to answer, instead walking over and getting his own bag ready. Before Tzacl can get mad Maiden jumps in.  
"Oh, that is simple. We do not want them to be trapped when if a wild animal or a malicious stranger came about and wanted to kill them. We do this quite often, they're used to it, and are quite willing to go back once we return with the promise of feed." Much to Maidens surprise Tzacl nods his head, almost impressed.  
"CLEVER..." he mutters. Maiden gives him a friendly smile, his tail lightly swaying the pretty fringe on the tip left to right.  
Masheenka approaches slowly, all three of your allies getting cautious. She puffs silently and whistles softly, trying to sound friendly, but it doesn't work as well as it should. You try to ease the tension by coming closer and patting her face, at which she closes her eyes in comfort and lets out a deep exhale of steam. It's Tzacl who finally breaks the silence.  
"WAIT... YOU DON'T EXPECT ME TO ACTUALLY TRAVEL BY THAT CREATURE DO YOU?" He folds his arms, pointing his stare back onto the train.  
"...d' ya like," Snork says, turning his head to you without taking his eyes off of the giant machine, "want us to gedd'on dat thing?" Tzacl exhales through his noseholes nervously while Masheenka inches her way closer to him. "...what 'm sayin is - i ain't gettin on dat thing."  
"How do you even mount such a strange creature?" Maiden asks, genuinely curious. "Does it require a special kind of saddle?"  
"IT'S A TRAIN, NOT A HORSE... I THINK. DID YOU NOT SEE YARNUS EXITING FROM THE CABIN?"  
"dis thing 'as a cabin? with a bed n' fireplace n' stuff?"  
"How peculiar! A creature that is also a mobile house!"  
"NO YOU PRIMITIVE IDIOTS! UGH!" Tzacl whips his head away, not bothering to explain any further. 

"She's kindă like a... a... hermit crāb. If you have thoşe here. It's a creatůre that protects its sensiţive portions with a disčarded shell of anoţher." Yarnus continues hoping that he was making sense. "Only her ouťer shell was made to ţransport people and to pull hēavy loads." Since Maiden was the most open to the idea, he gestured him over to the step ladder. "There's just a smãll room up callēd a cabin. She kinda lives in the spãces beţween everyţhing else." He watched as Maiden made his way inside.  
"What is this glowing wall... it's...it's....moving!?" The voice got a little panicked at the end.  
"'old on maid'n! i'm com'n fer ya!" Snork pushed the small skeleton out of the way and made for the stairs.  
"Ŵait! Thãt's ħer..."  
Yarnus didn't have time to explain as Masheenka began to roll backwards, keeping the entrance away from Snork.  
"Stőp! You'ŗe spoőking heŗ." This was something Snork understood and he stopped himself from pursuing her further.  
"'re ya a'right in der?" A affirmative sound comes from inside that calms the other brother. "well, I reckon dis will be an a'vent'r. if she'd let me in"  
"Masheēnka. It's okay. He's juşt worŗied about his bŗother." The train moved forward again, slowly. Eventually allowing Snork access. "Do be carĕful of the walŀ in there. That is ħer and she's sensitive. Don't toucħ unless she gives permisšion." Yarnus isn't sure exactly how she'd give permission, but it got the point across. The loading of the supplies and Tzacl went without any more troubles.  


There is not much to load for the travels anyway. Maiden and Snork only pack some cutlery, hunting and fishing equipment and only a few ounces of actual food. You figure they're more than well equipped to survive in the wilderness and packing any more food would only make it go to waste. Tzacl puts his armour back on, leaving his brothers arms to reach out free from its own armhole in the side of the breastplate. You gently pet and coo to Masheenka who still seems a bit uneasy about having passengers she doesn't know, but eventually she calms down and everything is ready. You give the train a tiny smooch before jumping up into the cabin, finding it way less lit than before. Seems like she had covered up her insides with her movable metal plate parts. Maybe she's shy before the newcomers.  
First thing you do is look around and back at the place of the chase to find Omega, but have no such luck. Masheenka whistles silently and pitifully as she slowly inches her way along the dug up dirt. Even if for some reason he decided to run away, he couldn't be that far... you're getting more and more worried with each passing second.  
At one point Maiden jumps out the train and runs towards one of the torn up trees. He carefully observes his surroundings, then jumps back up with something held in his hand. It's a piece of some sorta metal trinket. Only after Maiden tells you do you see what it used to be.  
A metal feather. Some sort of lucky charm or decoration perhaps?  
"das'ay horshtocsk'n thing," Snork says. You ask what that means and Maiden quickly explains.  
"Horshtocska is a tribe up north, in Glasswöll, actually." He seems even more worried. "They're not the friendliest of folk. Rumors are they're cannibals and slavers..." He looks to you, as if sorry for what he's even saying. "I am afraid our friends had been kidnapped. I do not know what Horshtocskans would do here, perhaps they arrived due to the panic in Zwezyr. But the tracks don't lie." There's a pause of worried and uncertain silence. It's Tzacl who breaks it apart.  
"THEN THERE'S NO TIME TO LOSE! QUIT MOPING AND GET THIS HEAP OF METAL AND MAGIC MOVING!"  
You ask the four armed brothers for directions, but end up having to retell them to Masheenka yourself since she only listens to you. Soon enough the information is conveyed and Masheenka whistles loudly as she gets on her way.  
Despite the rough terrain the inside of her is not nearly as jumpy as you'd have thought, making for a comfortable ride through the Grasslands. Masheenka speeds through the trees, sometimes howling excitedly, sometimes slowing down not to destroy too much greenery or even stops completely not to run over an animal. Despite her efforts her incredible strength and mass still cause a lot of destruction in the forest, leaving an enormous track.  
It seems you'll travel for quite a while...  
  


A little pain of guilt runs along his bones as he looks around the dim cabin. He hadn't thought about how Masheenka would react to the brothers since she had seemed to have taken a liking to Tzcal well enough. Yarnus' eyes land on the tall and usually rude skeleton and a little smile crossed his face. For a moment there he had caught a hint of concern for Omega from him. Perhaps he didn't really hate his big friend as much as he put on. Once they were all together again he'd have to ask what 'sun-day-ray" meant. He could only guess that it meant rarely cheerful since he himself had never seen a real ray of sunlight.  
Yarnus positioned himself on a seat between Masheenka's gate and the others before asking the questions that were crossing his mind. "Sö these 'horsĕ-tocks'... are they likĕ you twő or like the Žwezers? Or are thēy something else?" He fiddles his fingers for a bit worried about Omega. "You said tħey were canŋibals.. do you thĭnk... would Omeġa be in dangeŗ? He carřies a lot of maģic if that's whaŧ they're afŧer." 

Maiden looks at you with his empty eye sockets, then turns his gaze down.  
"They are... sort of like a cross..."  
"yea, but dey git all da bad from 'ither side," Snork mumbles. Maiden nods.  
"Yes, they are huge and brute like the cave dwellers, but fierce and feral like us."  
"we dun kno dat much bout 'em... it's better to avoid 'em at all cost. we only he'rd stories n folktales. dey 'sually keep to demselv's up dere in glasswöll."  
"I suppose... maybe they are frightened by the recent happenings. Something has definitely changed, you can feel it in the air... and they are very believing in the forces of the ground, the sky, the code. They might have came to see what had happened..."  
"ya think dey took 'mega as prison'r? dey couldda confused the guy with a cavedwellah."  
"Yes, I suppose so..."  
Each of their words brings you more and more down, afraid for what might have happened to your friend. Only the sight of Tzacl, who looks just as worried although he's trying to hide it, gives you a bit of comfort.  


Everyone is silent for a while before a strange noise erupts from Yarnus. Giggling, although notably nervous sounding, the little skeleton is giggling. Uneasy looks are exchanged between others. "WELL THIS IS JUST GREAT! HE HAS LOST HIS GRASP ON REALITY!" The cross skeleton huffs and leans his head back against the wall.  
"Nŏ...no,,,just heår me out." The little skeleton wipes at his eye sockets, "I was thinĸing aboũt stories I've hēard. Ones wherē someonę is lost and the nativęs find them, but instěad of the worst happeňing, something wonderful ħappens instead." The laughter in his voice fades as he speaks. "It most likěly won't happen, but I imaģined finding Omëga being treateď like a Ķing by them. It won't take long for thēm to realĩze he's not from Zweżyr, or the caves."  
Mirroring Tzacl, Yarnus leans back against the wall letting Masheenkas vibrations move through his skull. "I just hőpe that the worşe is that they keěp him as a sŀave... he'd be a gŏod thralŀ." Those last words were said as quietly as possible.  
  


You look up out the window at the trees moving fast right by and into the dark starless sky. Masheenkas huge metal body clicks and clangs as it races through the trees and meadows, light vibration from her mechanics spreading into your body, lulling you to sleep...  
You have a... peculiar dream. You find yourself in some sort of lab, sort of like the one Perlo had. Your auntie is there, telling you to be careful and not talk to strangers before entering one of many doors that disappear when you look again. Somebody approaches you. You look but you can't see them even when they're right in front of you. A mouth full of broken shards of teeth grins at you wickedly. Behind a pair of cloudy glasses are two flickering eyes, like those of Equinlibria. His voice is somehow both so deep it rumbles in your skull and screeching so terribly you feel like your bones are going to shatter.  
" **IT'S NINE THIRTY - THERE'S FISH EVERYWHERE!** "  
With a gasp you jerk awake, confused at first as to where you are. There's a cold draft coming in from the windows, but despite that the metal is warm under your bones. Tzacl is sleeping, lightly leaning onto you, while Snork and Maiden sit on the other side of the train, playing some sort of game with black and white stones of different shapes. Snork is sitting on the bench while Maiden sits on the ground in a strange, very animalistic pose, his knees poking up above the level of his hips and lower back.  
Both look at you as you wake up, giving you a questioning look.  
"Are you okay, Sun child?" Maiden asks softly. Snork gives you a bit of an annoyed look.  
"good thing yer awake, how d' we stop dis 'ere thing?" he gestures to the entirety of the train. Looking out you see the sky had gone white with falling snow. Looks like Masheenkas swift wheels carried you to Glasswöll, you presume.  


He simply nods in answer to Maiden. "Uh... Masheěnka?" Yarnus doesn't raise his voice much so as to not disturb Tzacl's slumber. Gently he sits him upright, careful of Groloms arm, before heading up to the control panel he saw before. "I thiňk we're near the broţhers other home. I doŉ't know wheŕe it is... so we need to stőp for a while and look ąround."  
Masheenka slows down and starts to turn this way and that before finally settling on a spot she'd picked out. The movement shakes the brothers game off to the floor and awakens a slightly confused Tzacl. "WHY ARE WE GOING IN CIRCLES! HAS OUR TRANSPORT GONE LAME?"  


Masheenka lets out a huge puff of steam, lowering down until she finally settles. The brothers pick up all their playing stones, Snork grumbling something in their language. They pick out coats out of their bags while Tzacl gets up and looks out the window. His eye sockets go wide. At first you aren't sure but... yes, he's definitely amazed. A slight smile creeps onto his face, subtly but noticeably.  
The brothers carefully open the cabin door, very unsure about its mechanics, and you finally get a good look. Outside is a rocky path covered in snow and ice. It seems Masheenka picked out a spot between the rocky slopes, partially shielded from the falling snow. When you and your friends get out she begins to move again and you watch as she slowly pushes her wheels closer and closer to her until covering over them with the movable metal, folding them under herself neatly, not unlike an animal. She stares at you with no emotion after that, back to her usual self.  
Tzacl stands tall, staring out to where the slopes divert and show off the enormous snowy plains under you, the trail of the train visible even from afar. The brothers begin looking around, digging in the snow and throwing rocks about like a couple of geologists. Tzacl chuckles to himself, then turns and notices you're looking at him, immediately adapting back to his scrown.  
"SO THIS IS GLASSWÖLL, HUH?" he says dryly. Maiden doesn't answer, both brothers deeply preoccupied looking around. "WHAT, ARE YOU NOT SPEAKING TO ME NOW?"  
"We are not the first to come by." Maidens voice is very serious and worried. He gestures you to come closer and shows you what he's found as you do.  
The ground under the light upper layer of snow is covered with tracks of different shapes and sizes. After seeing this, you notice more and more, all around the rocky margin. It seems like a whole mob had gone through here.  
"It seems many grassland folk are fleeing from Zwezyrs new overlord."  


The brothers have more experience tracking in their lands than Yarnus, but once he knows what to look for the signs are obvious. But not as glaringly obvious as the trail plowed by Masheenka. "If we continûe with Masheenka to Glasswöll then the Zweźyrians will have a clear path to follow." He turns to address the brothers. "If we are cloŝe enough for you walk to Glasswöll then we shoūld part ways here. I don't wånt to feel responsible for lėading Won's minions towards eveŕyone fleeing him. Masheĕnka and I can lead them away, or towãrds the Horse-tőcks while we look for Omega. If they are as tȫugh as the cavedwellers then they could dēfend themselves aġainst them with no problém."  
It hurts him to think of causing more trouble to this land than he already has. As much as he'd like to stick together he's willing to go alone if it meant keeping others safe. Besides, meeting up with groups of scared people might not be the safest for him since he was the cause of all this trouble. 

"yea, n yer steam dog wouldda pro'bly..." Snork stops, looking to you when he realizes what you're saying. Maiden rubs all of his hands together, looking at you unsurely for a moment, then smiles lightly.  
"It is... very thoughtful of you, dear friend." He comes closer, lightly reaching his arms towards you. His touch is light and hesitant and his smile slowly fades. He seems sad, worried, yet knowing there's no better way. His hands slide around you and he squats to your level, wrapping all four of his arms around you.  
"Be safe, Sun child," he whispers, "if you needed help, we'll be in the village of the Tonrüka. Do not shy away from asking for help, should you need it." He presses you to his chest for a moment, his raised breastbone pressing into your neck, before he pulls away. He stands up tall, towering over you, giving you a light smile.  
"We shall leave you our food, for we will not need it. Our destination is close enough." He turns to his brother, then walks off to gather his belongings. Snork gives you a sad look, then smiles lightly, coming over to hug you as well.  
"yer alr'ght friend, gods be with yee," he says before turning away, doing as his brother. Soon they're both ready walking to the edge of the pathway, giving you and Tzacl one last wave goodbye.  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a warning, there will be many mentions/depictions of slavery ahead, including children and sex slaves. (NOT TOGETHER! DEAR GOD NO!) We don't really go into much detail with it, but if it is something you'd like to avoid, the next few chapters might be troublesome for you. Stay safe.


	35. In Glasswöll Snow Dashes Through You

  
  
  


Yarnus is sad to see them go but relieved that he could keep them safe this way. He smiles up at Tzacl before heading back to Masheenka. She's quietly puffing away while sitting in an oddly cat-like loaf. Her eyes look around for a moment noticing the brothers were missing before resting on the small skeleton as he approached her face. "I'm sòrry for forcing you to carry all of us with little warńing. But they are goõd people who helped me and Oměga and I needed to returň the favor. heh... It's becaüse of me they had to move." He runs his hands along the oddly warm metal of her body. "If you need to řest we ĉan stay a bit here, but I đo want to ask you sømething." He paused and looked towards her eyes. "Do you ŵant to help Tzacl and I find Omęga? Maybe one puff for nø and two for yes? Violet said in the letťer that you might learn how ťo use a voiçe if you practiced, but I won't fórce you." 

  


Masheenka stares at you, her eyes looking over your body up and down. She turns slightly to look at you better, but doesn't answer. Just as you're about to ask if she heard you she nudges her face into you quite hard, throwing you off on the ground. Immediately she pulls back up, whistling softly, as if saying sorry.  
Tzacl turns away from staring after the two brothers and scoffs lightly, looking over the enormous machine.  
"HMPH! HE ASKED YOU A QUESTION!" he yells at the train who raises her eyes at him, unblinking. Tzacl stares at her for a moment without getting an answer.  
"CAN YOU EVEN UNDERSTAND?" No response. Tzacl raises an eyebrow. "...YOU CAN'T, CAN YOU?" he says, somewhat more softly as he approaches her. She pulls back slightly, a bit unnerved, but Tzacl simply pats his arm over her carefully. She quickly gives in to the petting, closing her eyes and leaning into his touch.  
"YOU SURE ARE A STUPID HEAP OF SCRAP, HUH?" He says, but with an excited voice, tricking her into thinking he's praising her. She responds with excited whistling nudging into him, with more care now. "YES YOU ARE, YES YOU ARE!"  
Seems like she really can't understand what you say. You try to remember what she responded to, she did recognize when you asked her to go a certain direction, the names of stations... well, she is a train, afterall. You wonder what exact intelligence she has and if it can even be compared to animals or monsters.  
However that might be, talking like this to her is a real dick move from Tzaclkratz. She thinks he's being friendly when he's just being an asshole to her.  


Just for a day, just for one day is all he could ever hope for, but no. Tzaclkratz the Ass just has to do something mean-spirited even if it's not necessary. Yarnus practically growls as he watches Masheenka fall for his ruse. Part of him wants to snap at the larger skeleton because of his manipulations, while the other part is angry at himself for thinking she could be anything more than a train or a beast trapped into the form of a train.  
"Just... jůst... S❄︎⚐︎P !" One of the few words he learned from Violet came to him at that moment. "She might nőt understańd us, just like I didn't undeŗstand ✞︎✋︎⚐︎☹︎☜︎❄︎'s laňguage. But I know she can feęl... she has emoŧions... just don't...." Yarnus sighs heavily and turns away from them both. "Just don't yelł at her, or insult her in froŉt of me like you do Omēga. It's not her fault she can't underştand you, Hel's Teãts! I just don't underŝtand you somėtimes."  
With that said he stormed a little ways off and kicked at the snow a bit to clear his head.  


Tzacl watches you with a deep frown, then exhales through his nose holes and grumbles, rolling his eyes.  
"DON'T GET YOUR SKIRT IN A BUNDLE, SHE DOES NOT KNOW NOR CARE ABOUT ANY INSULTS. I DOUBT SHE EVEN KNOWS WHAT'S GOING ON HERE..."  
Silence falls for a second, the tightness in your chest slowly going away. You turn around to see Masheenka gently nudging into Tzacl, trying to lure more pets out of him. To your surprise Tzacl looks down, maybe even a bit... sorry? He turns to her halfheartedly and pets her again, grumbling something that might have even been an apology. Then he quickly shoots you an angry look, making you turn away, trying to pretend you didn't see that.  
"SIGH... I SUPPOSE WE SHOULD LET HER HAVE SOME REST. SHE CARRIED US ACROSS THIS LAND ALL NIGHT. LET US HAVE A MEAL, YES? YOU PREPARE IT, I SHALL HAVE A LOOK AROUND FOR ANY POTENTIAL DANGERS. UNLESS YOU HAVE A BETTER IDEA..."  


"That was whãt I was going to sugĝest anyway." It was only a tiny bit from the truth. Yarnus hadn't thought about sending Tzacl out to scout before the suggestion. "I'll seę what I can do with whät the brothers brougħt with them." As he passed by the larger skeleton he added, "If you want your foŏd warm you'll nēed to start a fire." Nothing else was said as he climbed into the cabin and started to search around for the supplies left behind. Before taking a good look for the food Yarnus found the package of clothes and decided to change into the sweater and overalls, complete with the mittens and booties to keep warm. The woolen fabric was familiar to him, but the pants... the sensation of fabric between his legs was a bit off putting. As he went about gathering the food he'd stop occasionally to shake a leg. 

Before you come out Tzacl had already created a small firepit, using dug up sticks and grass and his own magic. The fire wouldn't keep you warm but it's enough to heat up a bit of grub. You surround it with stones while Tzacl silently sneaks away, soon disappearing deeper in the snow ravine.  
There's dried jerky, smelling off the delicious rub you ate back at their place, a huge fish wrapped up in leaves, covered with salt with various herbs stuffed inside and a bag of strangely shaped black beans. They look more like sickles than the kidney shapes you're used to, but biting one open there's no doubt they really are beans, with a slight taste of pepper. You wonder if they'd grow in your homeland, if you carried a few over there.  
Masheenka seems a bit spooked at the sight of the flames, pulling away from it slightly and keeping her eyes on it, unblinking. She calms down when she sees you working with it, carefully inching closer but still keeping in a safe distance.  


The jerky and beans could be saved for later, but even in the frigid temperatures it would be best to cook the fish first. Yarnus sets a few longer branches over the fire to hold the fish packet above but close to the fire. There wasn't enough of a fire to settle it into some proper coals. "Don't worŗy Masheĕnka, just because I can't dō fire magic doesn't meãn I can't handle a fire. When Tzacl gets baĉk we'll put it out." The sensation of being watched crawled up his spine after a while and he looked around for it's source. "Having an opën fire is making me nervoūs for a diffeŕent reason. He should be back soőn... if he wantś warm food."  
Talking to Masheenka helped him pass the time as the fish steamed within the leaves and spices. The smell was even starting to escape and make his mouth water.  


Even when you're looking out to him he startles you by his sneaky approach, suddenly appearing from behind Masheenka. Without even greeting you he comes to you and sits by the fire.  
"WE ARE ON THE MIDDLE PATH OF TWO MOUNTAINS. HIGHER UP IS A DENSE FOREST, BUT THERE IS A PATHWAY THROUGH IT BIG ENOUGH FOR OUR MECHANICAL STEED TO GALLOP THROUGH. IT SEEMS LIKE THE ONLY WAY TO GO... I AM NOT SURE WHAT IS ON THE OTHER SIDE HOWEVER. BUT, SINCE IT IS THE ONLY WAY, I PRESUME OMEGA HAS BEEN DRAGGED THERE, TOO." He shifts his attention to the food. "I SEE THE MEAL IS READY. GOOD, I AM QUITE HUNGRY." You split the fish, but before he bites into it he stops, looking to the living train. She's staring at him with her wide unblinking stare, Tzacl slowly turning to her before looking down at the meal in his hands. "SHOULD WE... SHARE IT WITH HER? HOW MUCH DOES A TRAIN EAT I WONDER?" He holds out his meal to her carefully, but instead of eating she nudges into his hand, asking for more pets. Tzacl smiles lightly, then chuckles as he puts the meal to his mouth, petting her with his other hand.  
"HEH, SHE IS QUITE..." he gets serious again, "PECULIAR."  
  


Yarnus tried to hide his smile behind his share of fish. When that failed he explained the reason for his smirk. "I wonđered the same thing when I meť her. From what I could telł she had beęn abandõned for possibly hundrěds of years, ever since the cãve-dwellers took over Zwezyr. Someone named Mēllow created her originally" He took another bite of his food, "I think this Mellow fellŏw may have creåted Equinlibria. They both are sorta like overpówered canimorphš."  
The rest of the meal passed in silence while Yarnus contemplated the events of the last few days. "If Won wants to pőwer up the Ωmega hub he won't wańt to use his new bōdy. " the sound of disgust could be heard dripping from his voice. "He'll be after Masheĕnka, but he doesn't know şhe's mobįle yet. I just wiśh there was some way to warn Ɣiolet."  


Tzacl looks at you, then at Masheenka, then shrugs.  
"I WOULD LIE IF I SAID THAT I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE BLABBERING ABOUT, OR THAT I CARE." He wipes his teeth from the meal and gets up, opening his mouth to speak but a sudden noise interrupts him.  
You're both startled as a loud ear grating echo of static carries over the mountains, followed by loud rumbling from somewhere deep in the mountains, maybe a set off avalanche. The sky flickers violently between dark and blue, then begins changing into more colours, purple, yellow, neon green... Finally it settles back on blue, quickly covered back up white with snow. Both you and Tzacl look at one another with fear.  
"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?" he asks slowly. "THIS PLACE IS MORE AND MORE UNSTABLE BY THE MINUTE... SOON IT WILL BE CONSUMED BY THE SURROUNDING VOID. WHAT A SHAME, SUCH A STABLE AND BEAUTIFUL PLACE. WHO KNOWS HOW MANY GENERATIONS HAVE LIVED THEIR LIVES HERE..."  
There's a while of silence, only interrupted by Masheenkas light puffing. Then Tzacl looks at you again, raising a bonebrow.  
"MAYBE RESTING IS NOT SUCH A GREAT IDEA AFTER ALL. I THINK MAYBE WE SHOULD GET OUT OF THIS PLACE BEFORE IT-"  
Another sound interrupts him, although not nearly as scary and deafening as the first one. It's screaming, an echo of terrified screeches carried in the cold air above the mountain range. It sounds pleading, like a call for help, although you can't make out a single word. It doesn't sound too far away from where you are now...  


"Sőmeone's in troublė!"  
Yarnus is obviously disturbed by the shouts but oblivious to the low occasional whomping sound. The small skeleton starts to quickly kick snow into the fire pit but soon finds himself swung up into the air.  
"DO NOT BOTHER WITH THAT! IF WE DO NOT MOVE WE ALL WILL BE COVERED!" Tzacl shouts as he lifts Yarnus by the quite handy overall straps and throws him into Masheenkas cabin. Barely a second later the taller skelton climbs in and the doors slid shut muffling the increasing sounds outside. "HEAD FOR THE TREES AND UP TOWARDS THE SOUNDS. WHOEVER IS SHOUTING MUST AT LEAST BE IN A MORE STABLE AREA THAN WE WERE"  
Thankfully Masheenka seems to obey, either following Tzacl’s orders or using her own self-preservation. Yarnus steps up on the seats to look out her window only to see a flow of snow, ice, and debris rush over their previous campsite and continue down nearly masking their previous trail. His sense of wonder leaves him in silence as they make their way up the mountainside.  


Masheenka's body screeches loudly as she bursts into full mechanical gallop, her enormous wheels kicking up the snow behind her. She rushes up the narrow pathway between the cliffs and up into the forest. The trees leave you staring in awe, they're absolutely enormous. You feel so tiny among them.  
Masheenka slows down a bit, keeping to the track. The cry for help echoes once again, the train letting out a distressed puff. The call does sound like words... kind of like "omosh", over and over, in various levels of desperation. Masheenka speeds up again to find whoever is in trouble, almost as if she desperately wanted to help.  
You come to a small spot with no trees. The snow around is disturbed all around, as if something big happened here not too long ago. The trees around the bare spot have their lower branches torn off.  
In the middle stands a creature, similar to Maiden and Snork in shape. Four arms, long tail, except there are no horns. They are however much more strongly built, almost like the people from Zwezyr, including their tail being thick and short, the opposite of the long flexible thin one Maiden and Snork had. Their thick upper and lower canines stick out, although not nearly as crooked as what the Zwezyrians had in their mouths.  
They were screaming for help just seconds ago, but now are just standing there, shocked. They stare into the eyes of the giant machine. Despite calling for help they don't seem injured or anything, even holding a huge weapon in their hand, a double handed broadsword, their ragged clothing made of leathers and furs swaying lightly in the wind.  
"Cho tho kuhhrwa...?" they say after a while, still absolutely dumbstruck. Masheenka seems unsure at first, then slowly begins to approach, whistling soothingly.  
You notice another thing just as you're getting closer. There's ropes, makeshift ladders and wooden structures way up in the trees, well hidden in the branches, tho not well enough for your observant eyes to miss. At first you're just confused, then your soul freezing up in your ribcage. There's about two or three dozen of the same folk up there, holding more weapons, nets and chains.  
This is clearly,  
a place designed for an ambush.  



	36. In The Market For A Fat Skeleton

"Tzåcl? Do yõu see..." Yarnus turns to his comrade only to be met with a fiery stare and boney hand clamped over his jawbone and pulled down. Masheenkas puffs and whistles seem to be enough to cover the whispers of the two skeletons.  
"YES, I ALSO SAW WHAT YOU DID. I AM NOT AS STUPID AS THIS..." He almost completed his sentence in his usual manner until he saw the glare coming from the little judge. "... THIS MASHEENKA... WHO HAS... BY THE WAY... DRIVEN US DIRECTLY INTO A TRAP!"  
This time it's Yarnus who shushes the other from becoming too loud. "I seê that! But this tráp isn't for her or sömething her sizė." He sits down and surveys his options. The windows were small, but in a position where the tree dwelling 'Tocks could possibly spot them in the cabin if they grew curious. "They miģht not want to attack hēr. Maybe they'll just ĉhase her off. They seem to be huńting things our size, so we neĕd to stay out of siġht." A large blanket was thrown in Tzacl's direction as Yarnus proceeded to don Omegas parka since it could literally swallow him whole.  
"DID YOU HIT YOUR HEAD WHEN I WAS NOT AROUND. I AM A MASTER OF CONCEALMENT. I DO NOT NEED YOUR GUIDANCE." Ironically this was said as he pulled the blanket over his shoulders. "IF THEY CAN NOT SEE US THEN WE CAN NOT SEE THEM AS WELL. HOW DO YOU SUPPOSE WE KEEP TABS ON THEIR ACTIONS?"  
This got Yarnus to thinking for a bit before his gaze landed on Masheenkas rear panel. "I might have a wåy to conńect with her, but I'm not sure if I căn without distraċting or startling her."  


"BY ALL MEANS," Tzacl says, letting go of you completely.  
Very slowly and carefully you begin to crawl towards it on the floor. The spot where her internal organs are usually visible is still closed up, but when you touch it the metal twitches under your hands slightly, as if she really felt that, even on what you would presume is her outside shell. Who knows how this even works.  
She makes that weird startled sound again, receding slightly. This prompts the Horshtocska folk outside gasp slightly, then begin talking. You wouldn't be able to even make out words, even if you weren't so far in the cabin.  
Their voices are wary and careful, but soon become amazed. The bait person speaks up louder in their language and you can hear they are approaching slowly. Their voice is now calming, but somehow malicious. You don't know how but you get the image of a hunter leading a deer into a beartrap with a handful of flowers.  
You get even more startled when she makes a soft sound, slowly moving forward. Panicked, you bang your hand on her rear plate and she stops, her body jumping slightly with what almost sounds like a loud yelp. It's at that moment the Horshtockian outside raises his voice again.  
"WSHILL!"  
With that command all hell breaks loose. You hear many voices from outside as the guards uptop jump down. Suddenly with a loud pitiful howl Masheenka is jerked forward, the cabin shaking both of you up. It's at the moment one of the fourarmed warriors jumps up on her hood, tying the giant mechanical creature up like a wild animal, that Tzacl is done hiding.  
"THAT IS ENOUGH! YOU GET YOUR FILTHY HANDS AWAY FROM HER!"  
He lunges out the front window and knocks the warrior down, taking advantage of the surprise attack and his incredible athletic skills to mercilessly beat down any and all ambushers that are trying to capture Masheenka.  
She, on the other hand, looks stunned, just standing now, not even making any sounds. Is she even able to fight back? She was designed to serve monsters, not fight them...  
By this time the warriors outside wake up from their initial shock, ganging up on Tzacl although they can't quite match his fighting skills.  


The one to thirty odds were terrible and weren't any better even if they had three Tzacls on their side. They never really had a fighting chance. There had to be a better way out of this mess but with the language barrier it would be nearly impossible. Then it came to him, or rather one of the Horshtockians did. One stray warrior had decided to stick its head into the cabin through the window Tzacl had come out from. Both parties stared at each other in shock, one surprised to find what appeared to be a child hiding inside, the other disrupted from his thoughts reached out and grabbed the intruder by the jutting lower canines, focusing his eyes on theirs.  
Won had bragged about being an anomaly that couldn't be read, so that meant that the other 'cavedwellers' and 'codelings' might not have the same resistance. Either way Yarnus wasn't interested in learning anything from these attackers just yet. He just needed to convince them that stopping and cooperating with him would be in their best interest. He practically poured his soul into his eyes and pressed his conscience onto the other.  
Select scenes played out in his head. Omegas lifeless body laying on a slab. Yarnus nearly splitting Perlo's head, then Tzacl tearing apart one poor being with his bare hands before ripping Perlo to pieces. Then Omega and Yarnus taming a creature in the dark. A few glimpses of Won crept in, each surrounded with an increasing feeling of hate. The fight with the caged canimorphs as Tzacl dusted several on his own and Yarnus one of his own before the sting of betrayal from Won. The final vision was of Equinlibrias death and Wons theft of the body.  
The boiling hate mixed with fear of the new 'overlord' flooded Yarnus' senses and he barely was able to pry his conscience away and let go of the jagged teeth. The warrior stumbled back a bit and for a moment Yarnus worried that he may have pushed a bit too far.  


The warrior stumbles back, his eyes wide in shock. He falls on his back under the cabin window, staring up at you in utter disbelief. You stare back, waiting for a response, for him to say something... but nothing comes. He's completely dumbstruck, just staring with his jagged jaws slightly agape.  
It's then that you suddenly feel a hand grab onto the back of your neckspine and lift you up. You try to fight back but your flailing hands are soon held in an iron grip of all three remaining arms. The Horshtockian you have connected with is still laying there, now helped up by a fellow warrior. He's apparently asked if okay, to which he just nods his head unsurely, rubbing his scalp with both his right hands.  
You're downed quite violently, not able to do much of anything in time, your magic weakened by the previous trick. Before you know it you already have your hands cuffed behind your back, roughly lifted up on your feet. You can feel the magic in your body slow down greatly. Fuck, not again... it's not as bad as the last time you got your magic disrupted, you don't feel so weak, but you feel that if you tried to use your magic you could very well hurt yourself, your magic unable to go fast enough through your body.  
Finally on your feet you look to Tzacl, who's now held down, kicking and screaming, by almost half the entire group. They yell at him and each other, laughing victoriously and cursing at his violent demeanor. He's definitely not going willingly.  
Turning around you see Masheenka and your heart sinks. She's tied up from all sides, the warriors obviously having no idea how to cuff such an enormous and strange creature. Her wheels are tightly stuck to her body. She doesn't look as much scared as confused. "Why are you doing this to me? What did I do? Was I not a good train?" That's what you see in her eyes. The poor thing doesn't even know what's going on. You doubt she could even comprehend a monster being directly mean to her.  
Looking back you see Tzacl had been tied over several times, looking more like a badly wrapped Christmas present than a skeleton. He's still fighting back, screeching loudly, as they pick him up. From between the trees comes out a huge cart like contraption. Several wagons tied to one another, the first containing food and shelter, the remaining 5 or so literal cages on wheels. You realize what all those confusing thoughts you caught a glimpse of in the mind of the Horshtockian meant as they forcefully stuff Tzacl into one of the cages.  
They aren't just some highwaymen.  
They're slavers.  
You try again in vain to get your hands free, now even more fearful and panicked than before. That's when you are also grabbed, although a bit less harsh and forceful, and led to the next cage cart. You can't do much as you're forced inside.  
Getting up on your knees you look out at Masheenka Still just laying there, slightly on her side from the way she's badly tied up. She's whistling pitifully, blinking her eyes repeatedly, as two of the slavers, probably the leaders, stand before her and discuss. They sound very pleased, patting one another on the back and laughing lightly.  
You look at the remaining cages, no way can they stuff her into one, or even put her up on them, how the hell will they take her away from here with-  
That's when another order is said. You gasp when the cart begins to move, two of the warriors, one of which is the still a bit shaken Horshtockian you've communicated with, coming to sit on the cart by you to guard you. You try desperately to do something to get out of your cuffs as you slowly move further up the path, Masheenka slowly leaving your sight. Her confused hurt eyes look to you one last time before she disappears out of your sight behind the trees. 

"I'm sòrry Masheênka I'm ŞѺŘŔŸ!" Yarnus cried out as loud as he could muster under the magical restraints. He knew no one understood or cared what he was yelling except for the irritated skeleton in the cage ahead of him. As they moved away from the clearing and Masheenka he setteled down as best as he could in his cage. This was all wrong, everything was wrong, and the worse part was he couldn't pin down the moment when everything started to go to shit.  
Yarnus worked at the restraints as best as he could. They were meant for larger beings, but there was some basic rope added to keep his small wrists from slipping out. As the caravan rolled along he made his way up close to the drivers and looked for anything sharp to cut at the rope. From their angle they shouldn't notice what he was up. The rope just needed to go so he could slip out later once they released him from the cage.  
There was only one major problem to his plan. The warrior he had connected to might could figure out what was going on. Yarnus sat down and pondered his situation. If these were the same ones that captured Omega then there was at least that little hope that they would be reunited. The cold and sluggish magic in him didn't help him to concentrate. For the rest of the trip he simply stared out of his bars as the large trees passed by and daydreamed of better times.  


You feel afraid and hopeless, but there really isn't much you can do as of now. You just stare out, sometimes meeting glances with the Horshtockian you have connected with sitting beside the bars, but he always quickly looks away, unsure and nervous. His name is Wlademieer. You don't know exactly how it even got to your mind, but you're sure of it. He's called Wlad.  
The trip continues. You pass through the forest, only stopping once when the sky begins to flicker again. All the Horshtockians stop in terror, but it is over very soon, the trip resuming. After about two hours Tzacl finally stops thrashing around and yelling as loudly as the cloth in his jaws allows him to. You give him a sorry look as he lays on the thick wooden floor of his cage, breathing heavily in fury.  
The rest of the way is silent. You sit there, listening to the conversations of your captors. You can almost... understand them. It's strange, not the same way of you understanding your own language, but also not the way you understand a foreign one, either. You couldn't say the sentence yourself, but you can sorta guess what they're talking about.  
They talk about money and some market, which makes you uneasy. Then they talk about... it's hard to explain it. It's not exactly a sacrifice, more like an offering. They are planning to "give a bribe for their land". They don't seem to speak about Won tho, which makes you slightly less terrified. But not too much...  
The wagons are pulled over the top of the hill and an enormous valley opens up under you, the center completely covered with small square houses made of brown wood and grey rocks. "Krakogröw", instantly pops into your head. The slavers rejoice loudly at their arrival home, some running down the slippery hill, undoubtedly to quickly tell everyone what they found.  
Soon the slow moving wagons also get down, the entire contraption stopping in the centre of the village by a huge stone statue of... huh. Have you seen this guy before? You can't quite put your finger on it. It looks like a horshtockian, but with different, smaller proportions, despite the statue being quite huge. His eyes are huge and protrude out, his jaws filled with teeth that don't look quite right. Before you can pinpoint where you saw it before there's a huge crowd of the fourarmed folk around the wagon, yelling over one another and pointing joyfully at both you and Tzacl. You don't like the way they look at you, not one bit...  
  


Yarnus moves over to his bundled and gagged friend and sits close enough to be heard over the ruckus. "I'm nót sure what they plån on doing to us other than sellîng us. There's some sort of tribûte they pay to the land... òr to someone elsè." The muffled disagreeable sounds were barely heard over the 'Tocks shouts. "I was äble to conñect with one of them so I kiñda understãnd them in a way, but I'm prëtty sure they have diffêrent plans for bõth of us." Their conversation was cut short by a loud piercing whistle and a couple of shouted words. Yarnus scanned the crowds looking for signs of non-tockians to perhaps see how they treated outsiders. After a while he caught the eyes of Wlad. He hadn't really felt anything particularly hostile from him and it looked like he might be the best one to keep near. The only problem is that slavers aren't exactly the ones that keep what they found and the size of their group meant that the prices that they charge were probably astronomical. Perhaps Wlad knew who had Omega and could lead them to purchase him as well. Maybe even Tzacl as well, to have a whole set.  
Wlad turned away and went about his normal business leaving Yarnus to sit quietly surveying the crowd. Even with his magic dampened he thought he could feel the desires of those staring at him the hardest.  


For a while they leave you sitting in the cage, hurrying around, then suddenly the wagons begin to move again. It goes down the square into what you previously thought was a church or the town hall. Once the huge door opens, the heavy hot smell of filth from inside enveloping you, you realize it is far from any of those guesses.  
It looks like some sort of slaver workshop, to put it bluntly. Many cages as well as a huge wooden tub and... tools, are all around the huge shed. As you're taken out of your cell you notice a few more folk kept locked up in the cells, some that look like Snork and Maidens kind, a few cave dwellers and what looks like another skeleton perhaps?? He's very slim and lanky, with strange posture and a huge chin. He's blabbering something in what appears to be italian, but before you can see any more of this strange fella you're grabbed and dragged through a whole procedure that presumably any new captive here goes through.  
You're forcefully stripped, cleaned up in cold water, then closely examined. An old Horshtockian checks your teeth, your eyes, your ribs and limbs. Then you're tied by your hands to a pole, the whole procedure so fast and rough you don't even put up a fight before it's all over and you're sitting on the dirty floor. You stare at the remaining folk, seeing them trying to handle Tzacl but not having too much luck with that vicious son of a gun.  
Your attention is brought back when you hear pained screaming from the pole next to you. You can see some other four armed creature, forcefully held down on the ground while the Horshtockian brands it with hot iron with their other two arms. You jump when the enormous posture approaches you next, the branding iron in their hand, their expression merciless and cold.  
Just as you are about to start fighting back, suddenly Wlad comes in. He quickly says something to the huge stone cold guy, who just nods and shrugs, handing him over the branding iron and leaving. Wlad looks at you, his look hard to categorize. Does he perhaps... want to help you?  



	37. Child’s Play

In your moment of hope you don't pay enough attention, suddenly struck down and held in the same fashion by Wlad as the fourarmed fella by the previous stake. Wlad holds you down, saying something like "stop squirming you dumb thing", then the branding iron approaches...   
Only to hit the ground. You stare down at the slightly sizzling metal, then up, confused. Wlad gives you an encouraging look, then lightly slaps you with a frown.   
Oh, ooh, now you get it. You yell loudly as if you were really getting branded, which prompts Wlad to resume his shit talking to make it look more authentic. Before he lets go of you he quickly throws you back your clothes, making sure your unbranded hipbone isn't visible to others. Once you dress up enough he leaves again, handing the branding iron over.   
Once you're prepared they grab you and bring you back outside. You are surprised to see a whole crowd of other folk had arrived, some seemingly of different races even. There's even a few richly clothed cave dwellers, including their huge numbers of guards.   
You're led to the center along with two more slaves and Tzaclkratz. Tzacl is still kicking around like a crazed horse, seems like they didn't even bother with him and just got him out here unwashed and unbranded, still tied up as much as possible. Next to you is the fourarmed guy you saw getting branded a moment ago, looking shaken and afraid, and some old cave dweller looking guy who looks like he's accepted his fate by now.   
"Ooooh if only Brungus saw this, what animals you've become..." he laments, in you language. "You savage bloodthirsty beasts will never achieve the glory of Rotushko with this kind of business going on in the very core of your culture!"   
The crowd pays him no attention, looking you all over carefully and loudly sharing their thoughts. You feel frightened, weak and vulnerable among the crowd of giants.   


The voices are a mix of excited and mocking. The more local captives are ‘boring’ and most of the attention is on Tzacl. The captors are fueling the crowds energy with warriors stepping up and gesturing wildly telling how well "short face-no tail" fought. Apparently Tzacl has already made a name for himself here, not that he’d find it agreeable. Some of the slavers are clearly exaggerating when ‘ripping his arm off’ is mentioned but the crowd is eating it up.   
The comments aimed at Yarnus are much more calm, but more derogatory. "Cave-runt" seems to be the most popular one. "Pet" and "child" seem to used as well, but more in questioning way. As small as he is in comparison to them they seem to be at a loss as to what exactly he would be useful for. One banter between a small group seems to repeat "Not worth a … " exchanging a different word each time.   
"It’s a damn shame." The old Rotushkoian sighs to himself and Yarnus has a feeling that he knows what exactly what is going on.   
"What åre they planńing øn doing with uş?" He asks and gets little response from the elder save for a rolling of his head. Remembering that Rotushko was the quarry town in the tunnels he asked one more quick question that did get the older monsters attention. "They çaptured Masheënka ãlong with us. Whât are thêy going ŧo do to heŗ?"   
  


The old cave dweller looks at you cautiously. He stares for a moment, then leans closer, his face a mixture of confusion and distrust.   
"Masheenka? ...How would it-?" He stops, then pulls back again. "Ah, what does it matter. It's probably just an old hunk of rusty metal by now. My grandfather would tell me stories about it from his childhood..." He sighs lightly. "What do I know what they want to do with it? Probably sell it, or sacrifice it. I wish I was good enough to be sacrificed. The kind of treatment they give you beforehand - you get to be treated like royalty! But a 'stinking cave dweller' isn't good enough for that..."   
He sighs again, ready to say something more, but your attention is caught away when you hear rucus from over to your other side. Oh no, it seems somebody is buying Tzacl! An exceptionally huge Horshtockian lady in rich violet clothes with metal feathers hanging off her sleeves and an even bigger Horshtockian guy in armour, his face scarred more than it should be, are in a heated debate over the still kicking skeleton. It seems they both want to buy him, the slavers leader excitedly rubbing his hands together, handling the prices.   
"Oh, now that's unlucky..." the Rotushkian says, then gives a light chuckle, "that's almost like the definition of being between a rock and a hard place."   
He just shakes his head, not giving you any more information until the huge fourarmed lady straight up slaps the other big guy out of the way, handing over some wooden box, presumably of money with a victorious smile. Her guards quickly begin to take a hold of Tzacl while the slavers leader shakes her hand in satisfaction.   
"Aaand, it's a hard place for him," the Rotushkian says, slightly amused, "if that big scarred guy got him he would become fighting practice, probably die in a couple days of being mercilessly beaten by Horshtockian warriors... Heh, in this situation, that would have been the desirable option. But, since the Lady of Purpur got him he'll-"   
You don't get the full answer, the old Rotuskian getting silenced by a hard slap. Some other Horshtockian is now measuring him over, while the last of your fellow slaves, the thin horned fella, is bought off by the scarred warrior.   
Hands land on you. You see some huge older lady looking you over, cooing at you in their language. Another one is shaking her head at her dismissively while the first one pets your head like if you were a cute small dog. You feel like a baby bunny in a petstore.   
Tzacl is taken away in a huge grand carriage, the scarred guy carrying off his own struggling buy in his bare hands. The older lady seems pretty determined to buy you, but you could probably change her mind with a good bite.   


Had he been handled roughly he wouldn’t have hesitated at the thought of biting. At this point being the slightest bit aggressive might land him in the clutches of someone wanting some "fighting practice". The cooing sounds increased in pitch as he noticed that he had instinctively pressed into the petting. Looking up into the older ones eyes he could definitely feel a mothering presence in the woman. There was no way he could harm or even threaten her without a dang good reason. Tzacl’s buyer was already gone and thankfully so was the ‘loser’. Perhaps with the womans help he could learn their language and find out what happened to Omega, but that would take too long. Yarnus gently fussed in her grasp and motioned as best as he could at the remaining prisoner. "Him toõ pleäse. I neêd sömeoñe to talķ to. I’ll ğet lonëly." He added as much pleading into his voice as possible.   


She only coos to you some more, her other old lady friend still convincing her not to waste the money on you. She doesn't seem to understand what you're asking of her and when you have the chance to point the old cave dweller is already getting dragged away back into the shed, the whole crowd slowly dispersing. The woman gives a few dozen small squares made of some bluish silver metal to the slaver for you, untying you from the pole and wrapping you in her furcoat like a kitten, holding you with both her lower arms. You notice Wlademieer watch you being taken away, his look contemplative, but it seems like he wouldn't even know what to do. His thick tail wags in distraught as you leave his sight, carried away between the massive dark brown houses.   
The architecture of this place is much better than that in Zwezyr, everything is massive and without much detail, but precise and well built. It seems to be built to be much more practical than aesthetical. Makes sense in this harsh weather.   
The old lady with her friend chat away while she pets you. You try to figure out what they're talking about, it seems your new owner's friend is reproaching her, saying something like "you don't need any more than you have!"... it makes you a bit uneasy.   
Soon you come to a house and both women say goodbye, exchanging a small kiss. You are carried inside, gently unwrapped and put down on the floor. Looking around you are quite stunned at what you see.   
The room is absolutely enormous, maybe even taking up the whole building. Everything is here, the kitchen, the bedroom, the bathroom, all of it surrounding a huge fenced firepit in the middle of the room. It's quite warm but a disgusting smell carries around the entire room. Looking down around the floor you see many toys from chewing balls to small dolls.   
That's when you notice a huge cage at the far end corner of the house. Almost a dozen humanoid monsters are sitting in it, their big scared eyes pointed to your new owner. They don't seem to be in the best shape. Some look like child cave dwellers, but there's also a few of the fourarmed horned fellas, all with their horns sawed off.   
Cooing something, you owner come over and opens the cage, all eleven of her pets carefully stepping outside, watching out for her. One of them stumbles and falls and she grabs it by the back of its neck and stands it back up on its feet, not in a directly mean way but definitely not how you should handle a child. Finally, she puts you down on the dirty floor and nudges you so hard she knocks your breath out in an attempt to get you to go and socialize, watching you carefully, eyes full of expectation. The other kids watch you unsurely, afraid to make a noise.   
  


Yarnus is absolutely dumbstruck by the condition of the others. Slavery and servitude was common albeit rare in his world, but this, this was not how you treated your thralls. His magic still wasn’t fully recovered from the previous use and binding, but it was enough power to feel the fear in their eyes. One way or the other he would have to free them all, but first he would need to have a plan.   
"My namë is Yarnuŝ and I’m a prőtector, I won’t hūrt you." He started to move towards the group but they scattered or backed away. All but one.   
"Wre durnt need ye." The remaining thrall stood there with his arms crossed across his chest. It was a cavedweller, possibly a teen from the attitude. "Ur jurst anorther mrouth ta freed." He stepped forward, standing just an inch or two taller than Yarnus. "Aand yer probry nerver skripd a mreal." A thinner than it should be arm reached out and poked him in the ecto-belly which only earned him a stern chidding from the owner. Something along the lines of "play nice" before she turned her back and started prepping something in the kitchen.   
It was no surprize to Yarnus that as soon as the owner was distracted the leader lunged at him. It was only a simple side-step to dodge and left the attacker off balanced enough to fall on his face. Everything seemed to stopped at that moment. The other thralls stopped what they were doing and froze in terror at what had just happened. Yarnus just simply took a step away and raised his hands, "I sąid I’m not gŏing to hűrt you, plěase don’t…" His voice trailed off as soon as he noticed most of the others weren't looking in his direction, but rather in hers.   


She watches you from the kitchen counter, giving you a careful, maybe even warning look. You stare back, unsure what to do, then suddenly fall over when the teen cave dweller shoves into you harshly, beating his fists into you quite mercilessly. Startled you fight back, at least trying to soften his punches, but that's when the stomping stops both of you.   
She rushes in, grabbing both of you quite painfully, yelling in anger. Although you really haven't done anything she makes no difference, slapping both of you quite harshly over the back before throwing you to the ground, yelling something like "quit this now or no dinner!". The small cave dweller cries silently, obviously taught not to be loud, as he skitters over and hides behind a big leather armchair, weeping. The other kids stare, but quickly look away and busy themselves with half hearted play once she gets up, walking back to the counter.   
You sit on the ground for a moment, your back hurting pretty badly. She might not be a warrior but dang is she big and strong, packing quite a, well, slap. With the way she handles such a small fight she definitely shouldn't be allowed to have any pets, let alone kids.   
The rest of the kids observe you carefully, most avoiding your look, all but one. A small horned fella, with one of his lower arms cut at the forearm, seems to be a bit older than the rest, staring back at you with an understanding and sorry look while lazily moving around a small wooden toy horse. You also notice the end of his tail is badly injured, as if it had been stepped on and haven't been treated since, fused together at a bad angle. 

Yarnus just sits there for a while waiting for the sting of the swat to die down. The owner comes back a little while later with a surprisingly cheerful demeanor and a plate of something that remotely resembles food. The others swarm it as soon as she removes her hand. There is definitely a pecking order at play here with the smaller ones keeping away from the larger ones. Though it seems that crooked-tail doesn't inflict that sort of fear around him. Yarnus sat quietly observing them all for a while before being approached by oldest codeling. He carried a bit of the food in his hands and made sign of offering it.   
"No thãnks, Ĩ can go withôut." He gently pushed the offered food back. They seem to take the rejection well and consume it themselves. Together they sat in silence until Yarnus decided to speak up. "I’ve mēt otheŗs of your kinđ. They hělped ŝave my life…" The codeling turned to Yarnus and held up a finger to shush him. Whatever questions he had would have to wait until later. Probably after the owner was asleep or away.   


"Playtime" resumes. You've never seen kids being so silent while they play, overly careful not to make any loud noises. It seems she doesn't take kindly to those. But then why would she even buy them all?   
At one point she gets up and awes at one of the kids, a smaller cave dweller, reaching down to pick him up under the arms. She sits onto her armchair and coos to it in her arms, petting it like an animal, but the child doesn't seem to be enjoying itself. It goes limb, its eyes just staring forward, helplessly. It makes you very uneasy to see the fear in them, wondering what terrible things must have already happened here.   
After a few hours of this dangerous uneasy silence it gets dark outside again. She gets up, working up the fire in the fire pit for a moment before saying something like "time for bed!". All the kids begin to scramble for the cage, except the still crying big cave dweller kid behind the sofa who she has to take out and manually put in the cage. She looks to you, holding the cage door open. You don't feel like getting another hard slap, going into the space of the cage, definitely not big enough for 12 children to live in comfortably.   
There's sheets on the bed, very filthy and stepped down, seems like they haven't been changed in ages. Most of the kids huddle up to the older one, trying to take up as little space as possible. The cave dweller is snuck up into a corner, pouting. 

"Thiş is wrøng... thiş is soø wrøng." The little Justiciar keeps his voice low as he paces in what little area afforded to him. "Mistrĕăting thrąlls, child thralls at thåt. She'd be in the stõcks fõr weeks back hômė." A shushing sound comes from the mass of children on the bed. "Sorŗy...I'm jüst... so aňgŕy!"   
The cave dweller just whimpered in his corner. Why was that, he thought for a moment before realizing that these are children, weakened children. Slowly he approached and got down to the other's level. "Let me seē whęre she hurt yŏu. I don't hăve healińg maģic, but I can caŕe for some woųnds."   
"Gret awray!" The injured child moved, but it only further upset whatever injury he was possibly hiding. Yarnus backed away. There really wasn't much he could do for these children. Even if he could escape with all of them there was no place they could go. Escaping without them... he worried about what sort of punishment she would unleash on them. He pondered in silence before hearing a new small voice behind him.   
"madjick? 

Another one of the smaller fourarmed children stares at you in amazement. He turns to the older kid and tugs at his clothes lightly, as if he haven't already heard. He looks at you with seriousness, then up to where she sleeps, checking if she's really asleep. Finally, his empty eye sockets look back to you.   
"You are no cave dweller, are you?" His voice sounds a lot like Maidens, but is much more serious and careful. "Who are you? How did you get here?" 

"I wöke up in the tunńels near Glaswöll a coūple of weeks ago. It's a lŏng story, but I'm ŋot from around ħere." Reading the emotions of the grassland dwellers wasn't as easy as reading monsters with magic, so Yarnus proceeded cautiously. "I've mađe some friends and ĥelped resčue some others, but riģht now we're äll separated and cäptured by theše people." He gestured toward the sleeping woman. "They toŏk Omega firşt. He's like mĕ but bigģer. Last niģht they lead us unto a tråp and caugĥt me and my otĥer friend. He got sòld to some Lady of Purpur." Yarnus pauses and sighs deeply, "I can probably ğet myself out of herē but I'm not sure wĥere to go. At leaşt she hasn't put ońe of their magic binđers on me." 

The child stares at you for a moment, face stern. He looks to your owner once more, then leans in quite fast, taking a hold of your clothes and whispering into your face urgently.   
"I have parents in Tonrüka, so do others here. We have a plan how to get there, if we get out of here." He stops, looking to her, only resuming after hearing her snore. "Can you fight?" 

The name of the town is familiar and Yarnus nods. "Not as wêll as my frieŋd with his maģic, but with a swoŕd or even one of thėir knives I cãn." He thinks back to Masheenka. Omega's parka and his sword were left behind in her cabin. There was no way he could get them back without help. "I might hãve another frieňd that could ħelp too. A slaver nåmed Wlad kept me from bêing brănded. He might be ăble to help us withøut neëding to fight mûch."   


The child shakes his head. "I would trust no slaver, they only live for profit. I'm not sure we can trust you, either, but there is no time. Many of us are injured or malnourished and she won't help," he nods his head towards her. "We have a plan we've been working on for a couple weeks now. We can open this cage and get her kitchen knife. None of us are fit to fight, so you will have to play that part."   
One of the children is already at the ready by the gate, carefully pushing a finger past the tight rods to the simple lock. Seems like the rods were worn down gradually over time to be widened, exactly for this purpose.   
"After she's dead, or at least incapacitated, we'll steal her clothes and make our way through the village, until we reach Snojdöws bridge. After we pass it we'll be free. Tonrüka is only half a day of walking from there." One more time he stops to make sure she's asleep, then turns back to you. "Understood?" 

A hiss of air passes through his teeth as he inhales deeply. Most of his decisions to pass Judgment on others came after a good examination of their soul, but as he had learned from his dealings with Won, the Void didn't allow for such deliberations. The state of these children was enough warrant death in his mind.   
"I acçept my rõle." The words were spoken flatly, as if they were rehearsed to the point that all emotion was lost to them. The children looked to each other a bit confused by his answer. The eldest was about to ask something before Yarnus continued. "I'll go alöne. If I fail she māy only harm mē. Where woûld I find the šharpest knife?"   
Yarnus had not felt any malicious feelings from her, so a part of him worried that she had simply become senile. Death would be a cruel thing in that case, but if he was able to he would make her death quick and as painless as possible.   


The oldest child stares at you for a moment. Then he nods, reaching one hand to you to grab you by the shoulder. He bows slightly, and so do the other kids by his image.   
"It is more than generous of you to take on this risk. Thank you." When he lets go all the kids huddle into the farthest corner, obviously scared out of their mind, as the gate door slowly opens. The kid who unlocked it quickly skitters after the others, 21 eyes now staring at you in expectation. You take a deep breath, carefully slipping out, closing the gate after you.   
The room is illuminated well enough by the central firepit, everything around it casting shaky shadows across the wooden walls. Her snores and the crackling of the fire are the only sounds in the room and you feel your soul beating in your chest. It reminds you of those times in your childhood where you snuck past your auntie to the kitchen for some treats at night. Except this time, instead of sweets and bad teeth, lives are at stake.   
The kitchen counter, where the kids point you to, is quite high. It's adjacent to the stove and stands next to the dining table. You might be able to climb the knobs of the drawers or you could get up on the dining table from a chair and jump from there. There is also a basket of knitting supplies by the armchair, with a pair of huge fabric scissors inside. They aren't sharp enough to do any stabbing, but could cut something well enough. They're as big as a small sword for you. There are also sewing and knitting needles and balls of yarn as big as your head.   
You could also search around some more, in the drawers of the kitchen counter or the dresser. It seems she's deeply asleep, snoring loudly, so all you need to worry about is not making any loud noises.   


At the sight of sewing supplies his soul drops. Killing her like this would be like killing someone in his own family. Just because the Void was a sometimes cruel place didn't mean he had to be. There was quiet murmuring back from the cage and he stood in the middle contemplating his next action. Looking back at the sleeping form an idea popped into his head. Quickly he grabbed supplies from the knitting basket and dashed under her bed.   
She had fallen asleep under a knit throw that was overhanging the bed by a considerable amount. Laying on his back underneath he tugged at the edges judging how much slack the blanket had and quickly went to work stitching the two sides together on the underside of the frame. Not too tight to wake her, but It would be just tight enough to keep her from getting out of bed. His hands worked fast as soon as he figured out the best spot to place his stitches. It was too bad she had been so terrible, he would have loved to learn the type of knitting she used, but probably it was only possible with four arms.   
Satisfied with his handiwork Yarnus slid out and grabbed a ball of yarn and started forming a crochet string from it. He nearly yelped as he felt a firm grasp on his shoulder. It was the elder child looking equally confused and upset. "What are yo---" He was interrupted as Yarnus shoved the ball towards him. "Őh goōd, I'll neĕd help with the gåg. She will prøbably wakę up wħen we put it øn." He gestured towards the bed and took a small leap up towards her head. Reaching down he helped the other up and they managed to slip the cord behind her neck and back around to the wad of remaining yarn. Now this was the tricky part, opening her mouth and securing the gag before she could call for help. Yarnus nodded to the other as they took their places.   


You stand over her, the gag in hand. You don't want to rush this. You'll only have a single chance, better to take it slow and careful...   
The elder child stares at you, shaking lightly, while the others watch carefully from the cage. Ever so slightly you reach towards her face, scarred with age, and slip a finger to her mouth. You flinch back when she exhales a bit deeper, the musty smell of her breath overwhelming. After you regain your composure you resume, carefully slipping a finger just onto her lower teeth, then another...   
With a jerk you open her mouth and stuff the ball in in the same second. The elder child instantly tightens the string and ties it with all three hands as securely as he can. She opens her eyes in shock, trying to move, but the cover holds her down firmly. She screeches as loud as she can, thrashing around, but to no avail.   
It worked. She's securely restrained and silenced. The elder kid stares in disbelief, then slowly lifts his head to you, a big smile spreading over his teeth.   
"My Gods... We've done it!" He stands up and waves at all the kids who, after a brief hesitation, come running out. Once they see for themselves she is restrained, their faces brighten up. The elder child tells them to be quiet since they can still get caught but some of the kids are already on the bed, jumping and stomping on her excitedly.   
"Bring the knife! Bring the knife!" the biggest cave dweller hollers excitedly while the elder child tries to calm him down. Other children are now rummaging through the drawers, turning the place upside down. They aren't as loud as they could be but they are getting rather destructive. The elder child quits trying to get them to stop and instead bolts for the clothes drawer, taking the pair of scissors and quickly making makeshift clothes from her jackets and furs. He's not having as much luck with it though, eventually running up to you again.   
"You are quite good at sewing, yes? You do the tailoring, I shall try and get them under control." He hands you the huge scissors, then begins to pry away the kitchen knife from the kids.   
There's such an enormous array of materials for you to work with, all big enough to cover you once and half around. Three of the more silent and behaving kids stand by, holding the needles and yarns and fabrics, looking to you with silent awaiting stare.   


Luckily the soon to be previous owner doesn't thrash around too much. Settling on looking around and whining as best as she can manage. Those whines escalate every time Yarnus cuts into her furs. These kids may have been born here, but in the shape they were in they'd need all the warmth he could give them. He worked as simply and quickly as he could, Twelve bodies to warm, including his own, would take a bit of time, but by flipping the furs skin side out they made for warm tunics. Belts and scarves were made of simple lengths of fabrics he let each child pick out for themselves. For himself he found a dark yellow material with specks of red coarsely woven into it. The fabric reminded him of stories of 'fairy flags' from home so he cut a huge strip of it as wide as he was tall and several lengths long. He didn't do anything else with it and refused to answer the children's questions with anything other than he didn't have time for it.   
He was nearly finished with the eldest outfit when he heard noises of distress from the bed. The large cave dweller had managed to find the knife and was making his way towards his objective. Yarnus ran across the room in a flash and leapt clear up to the bed in front of him. "STØP! Thiş is my dūty! A chilđ should nõt carry this weiġht."   
"Who yer call'n a kid... you... you..." The fellow began to shake and then doubled over in tears, "...you dun knrow what she drid... to... us...". Yarnus couldn't stand to hear anymore and placed his hand comfortably on the other head. "Shê wïll pay, but not wĭth her lįfè." The cave child sniffled and looked up with hurt in his eyes. "Shōw me your braňd."   
He obeyed and Yarnus studied it for a moment before taking the knife for himself and walking up to face the former owner. Her eyes went wide as she saw that Yarnus hadn't come to her rescue. His eyes were bright and she found it hard to look at him or away. In a way she couldn't understand she was ironically understanding what was going on.   
"In the name of King Jarl. I Yarnus, the Great Justiciar, hereby Judge you." His voice was firm and surprisingly clear of the glitches he had carried of late. He continued as he brought the knife to her forehead. "You shall suffer in the way you have brought suffering to your Thralls." With that said he carved into her forehead the simple marks that they had branded the slaves with.   


Her struggling and thrashing around makes it a bit hard for you to carve properly, especially with the knife so big. The cave dweller child comes to your aid, grabbing at the sides of her head tightly to keep her still. With his help you finish her punishment, the rest of your brethren getting dressed, the elder child finishing the coat you made for him on his own. It seems they are ready to go, right now just throwing their former toys in the central fire pit while eating the good food from the pantry box.   
The elder child is looking to you expectantly, but calmly. You have enough time to do or take anything you'd want should you want to, but probably shouldn't wait around too much. 

The large bolt of fabric is carefully folded into a backpack sized parcel with a pair of the large needles safely tucked inside. Yarnus then dons a furred tunic like the rest and chooses a belt and scarf of the same yellow material. It seemed to have once been a summer coat made from some sort of rough silk. He tried not to think much more about its past, the bright colors cheered him and that was enough.   
Since he had passed on the meal previously, he was actually pretty hungry. Some sort of shortbread seemed popular and the young ones seemed willing to share the current bounty. He chewed on some as he made his way through the kitchen. He wasn't sure what the others had been looking for, or what he would find himself. There were large cleaver type knives mostly, a few other common knives like the one now laying on the bed, but way in the back of one cabinet was a small thin filet type knife. Well it would have been small for it's user, but for Yarnus is was just about sword size once he removed the handle and could grasp it by it's tang.   
He made his way back down and made a better grip with a bit of scrap of leather. The others were still flinging things into the fire. Now they had moved on to some of her personal things. "Støp that now," he chided. "We should get ŏut of here before daylight comês." He turned to the elder child that he considered to be in charge. "Is there anŷthing else that would be úseful lateŕ? Coins perhãps?" 

"There's plenty money there," he points to a small drawer on the bedside table. Opening it you find three small boxes. One is filled with thin rounded square shaped coins, the second with full blocks and the third with cuboids, all in the same fashion, made from the same bluish silver material. "I don't however think we will be able to use any. Not with slave brands, anyway." He gets up, slowly approaching, followed by the other children.   
"The night won't last forever. Let us go now, yes?" It's almost uncanny just how much he talks like Maiden.   



	38. Midnight Run

  


Why branding would have mattered confused Yarnus, but then he remembered that he didn't bear that mark so there was no reason to not take the money. By their thinking she wouldn't be able to use it anyway. Snorks old overalls had fairly spacious pockets so Yarnus put as many of the larger metal bits in them and smaller ones in the folded fabric he had attached to his back. "Perhăps it could be of uşe to us. Like you said, ślavers care only for monéy."   
Yarnus gets in line and follows the other children's lead as they make their way out of the house and down the streets. All the time spent in silence in the home suits them well as they make their way from shadow to shadow. Tzacl probably would be proud of these little guys if he could see them. In fact Yarnus has a hard time keeping track of them all as they move about. You wouldn't suspect that there are twelve little shadows darting about.   
There hadn't been time for introductions so Yarnus just made up names for some of the children. Madison was the name he had given the leader who made sure everyone was still behind him. Huey, Dewey, and Louie were the three smallest. It didn't matter which was which since they were always together and currently kept in the middle of their group. Then there was Carl, the large cave-child. He seemed to be the slowest, possible still hurting from the blow he received.   
There was no telling how far they had travelled before Madison made a quick signal for everyone to hide. 

The whole group gets down, hiding by the piles of snow on the side of the street. Madison looks carefully around the corner, then grumbles. He motions you over, probably thinking of you and something like second in command.   
You carefully sneak towards him and he lets you see that you have arrived to the town square, the same place you were sold at yesterday. Your eyes go wide when you see the two huge circles of light. Masheenka lays there, bounded by an enormous structure made of metal and hard wood and chains. It looks exceptionally well built and locked up tightly around her. Her huge unblinking eyes stare out at... whoa.   
There's about six of those slaver guys in front of her, standing or sitting about in silence. The leader paces back and forth before her, her eyes sometimes following him, sometimes not. You notice one of the slavers is Wlad, chewing on something as he sits atop a barrel.   
Nobody talks or anything. You can't quite figure out why they are there like this, as if waiting...   
Madison gets your attention by a silent whisper.   
"This is bad. We don't have time to find another way through, the light will come on soon. Do you see any way through this?" 

There's no way Yarnus could leave her here. Tzacl could handle himself and probably already escaped by now, but Masheenka wasn't a fighter, she couldn't defend herself either. "I can't.... I can't leâve her beħind." Madison looks confused trying to figure out who 'her' was. Yarnus' eyes darted around as he thought. "There's gŏt to be a way to get ħer out of tħere." Hands wave in front of his face. "Who are you talking about? How are we going to get past those slavers guarding the weird metal box thing?"   
Yarnus is taken a bit aback before explaining in simple terms. "That bõx is a friënd of mine. If we could frëe her we cõuld all be in Tonrūka before the light is bâck. She’s like an ođd horse and carŗiage combinéd" He turns back and points. "The bars are widé enough for the small õnes to get in, and I døn’t think the slàvers will sēe them." Madison shakes his head in disbelief.   
"Is there one òf you who knows their langûage? I might could bribe òne slaver to distract the othèrs, but it might be bëtter to act like a büyer." Yarnus pats at the fabric strapped to his back. "That’s what tħis was for. Nobéls in my land weaŗ a lot of fabric. Thanks to Wlad, I wasn’t bŕanded, so hopefullŷ just a change of clothes will mąke it so they don’t recogńize me."   
  
  


Madison looks unconvinced, worried, even scared. He scans the giant mechanical creature, the other children following, then looks back to you.   
"I am not sure about this... but, you do seem like you know what you are doing, so... just lead the way."   
Silently, you sneak a bit closer to see the whole situation better.   
The leader of the slavers is pacing back and forth before her while the remaining five are sitting around, as if waiting for something. Three are sitting by the foot of the statue, playing some game similar to what Snork and Maiden played before. One of the slavers is falling asleep, sitting with his back leaning on a pillar of the wooden dock-like structure the slaves are presented at. Wlad is sitting on a barrel, his back turned to you, his tail idly swinging side to side as he chews what looks like tobacco. It's very silent, except an occasional exhale of steam from Masheenka. Looking at her you notice something very troubling. It looks like her cabin is tied over with planks of wood and chains, preventing any access.   
There's a few ropes scattered around the slave pedestal, a pile of huge logs next to the statue and a small campfire warming up the three players by the statue.   
You might be able to sneak closer and get Wlads attention, but you can't be sure whether he won't alert the others. The rest of the slavers seem pretty disinterested and not paying much attention, but their leader, pacing around and grumbling, is looking around like a hawk.   
Whatever you choose to do, it will be very risky.   


What Yarnus wouldn't give to have his slingshot and 'singers'. If anything just to annoy the slavers and send them on a wild chase around town. The children had their plan already figured out and if it wasn't for Masheenka and the slavers in the way they'd be well on their way to freedom. "Listęn, do you thiňk you and the othērs could maķe it safely to Tonrüka if I đistract the slavers?" Madison looks a little confused, one moment expecting to be lead by this strange magic bearing being and the next being told to go it alone.   
"I can’t leäve her here like thiş, but I also can’ŧ endangeř you guys. If I could jüst get Wlad to act as my brøker I might could bũy her freędom with the moŋey I picked up." Madison looks around at the other hidden children. He was about to reply but froze at the sight of Yarnus’ hand. There's a pulsing glow just above his palm as he practices forming and dissipating a small glowing projectile.   
"Are you crazy! They will see us!" Madison hissed through his teeth as Yarnus extinguished the glowing object in a small burst of sparks.   
"I’m gôing to try to luře him away without alērting the ôthers. He might recŏgnize my magic, or juşt think tĥis is söme sort of fiře-bug.." Yarnus held up a softly glowing bullet and let it dissipate, "That is, if yōu have thoşe hëre."   


Madison stares at you, confused. "A fly... that is on fire? Where you come from must be quite strange..." He looks over you again just as Wlad begins stretching all four arms, then flicks his tail around a bit before setting down again. The child looks at you again, suddenly taking our hand.   
"I... I do not want to get separated from you. Truth is..." He looks to the other children who are waiting silently with shallow breath. "I am scared, too. You seem to know what to do. Please don't leave us..."   
"Ay!" the cave dweller child, Carl as you named him, says from the very back of the group "we ourtta do wat you terll us!"   
"If saving the... thing, is what you need to do, then let us help you, or at least stay by your side."   
All the children have their empty eyesockets on you, waiting for your answer. Talk about being put on the spot.   
Glancing over you see Wlad has gotten up and is walking around the barrel, most likely moving to get a bit warm in the cold weather.   


Trying to get Wlad’s attention would be impossible now. Yarnus watched as he joined in the game with the other three. Four were by the fire and one still snoozed on the dock, leaving their leader alone, pacing in the darker area. His eyes scanned the area again. While the slaves were outnumbered two to one, Yarnus only had children with him. He needed a plan… he needed a distraction… and those logs might just work.   
Looking at the plethora of faces brought back memories of welcoming new ‘siblings’ to the Weaver house. As the eldest he had to sort them out into the best positions needed for the season. These children were different, souls without magic, were harder to read. With his back towards the slavers he scanned them with a minimal amount of power. A few names drifted into his head, the cave-dwellers were the strongest and Madison seemed about their level as well. The one seen picking the lock before had high dexterity along with most of the four-armed children. Yarnus was afraid to scan too much, else he might get noticed.   
"I neëd you all to påir up, prefėrably codêlings with caverş." The children quietly paired off, some eagerly, the remaining ones were slightly more reluctant. Madison and Carl teamed up and the trio of smallest stayed together. "I have an iděa. I neēd some of you to get beĥind those logs õver there and knøck them loøse and then rún. If you can’t rún, hide, otherwise try to get one of the slavers to ćhase after you." Yarnus placed his hand on one of the small ones, "You threë I want with me. I’m goiŋg to try to disable the leaďer and when I do I’ll neēd you to get the keys fröm him." He gave them the most reassuring smile he could muster, "They might nøt understañd what I say, but I thiñk they’ll underständ what I’ll do when thêy see me wīth a blade tô their leader’s thrøat." Yarnus paused to let the others voice their concerns or ask questions.   


Seems like they weren't taught to ask questions, but not not to be afraid. They are all shaken but ready to do whatever you tell them. It makes you feel a little bad, but under the circumstances you can't wonder about the morality of sending children into danger.   
As silently as mice the groups of children disperse, holding onto one another by hands or tails alike. Some of them are sneakier than others and you get the idea that they might have lived as children of the street at some point. they certainly look ready to pick some pockets.   
The three smaller kids stay behind you, cowering slightly, holding onto your clothes with three small hands. Two groups, including and Carl and Maiden, sneak up behind the logs. The remaining two couples sneak each by one side, hiding along the snow. The leader mumbles something to himself then suddenly whips his head up, all of your kid troops stopping dead in their tracks, not even breathing. The leader whips his tail, then resumes his pacing, as do the children their path.   
Soon enough everybody is at the ready. Madison peaks his head with his sawn off horns to look at you, waiting for your signal. The slavers don't seem to have noticed anything. The ropes holding the logs down twitch slightly as they're being unbound.   
Everything is ready for you to start it off with a single flick of the finger.   


"Stay hiddèn until I cãll for you côme out," He whispered to the trio who were more than happy to oblige. Yarnus shrugged off the pack and readied his makeshift sword. As on edge as the leader is Yarnus decides against his first idea of waiting for the logs to fall. If his plan works, Wlad may recognize that Yarnus is willing to negotiate and keep the others from blindly attacking or otherwise harming the children. If it fails he can only hope that the children can get away and make it to Tonrüka without being caught.   
Yarnus watches the leader pace by before moving his magic to his eyes and limbs to increase his reflexes. Small pinpricks of light are seen across the courtyard and Madison takes that as his signal. At the same time Wlad looks up and notices it as well, hesitating with confusion as to why the light looks... familiar.   
The sound of the ropes being pulled is enough to alert the leader. As he shouts at the others he can't hear the fast moving steps before Yarnus flings himself up into the air and onto the leader's back. Four arms flail about trying to remove the small skeleton, but all the time spent clinging onto Omega in one way or the other gives Yarnus a bit of an advantage. The leader spins around trying to fling him off but the Justiciar simply climbs up to his neck and lodges the blade under his jawbone.   
"Căll them øff! Cåll them øff Wlåd!"   


The other slavers barely manage to avoid getting seriously hurt, torn between escaping the logs and seeing what happened to their leader. One of them falls to the ground and his leg gets hit quite hard with one of the heavy pieces of wood, but with how sturdy these folks are you're sure he'll be alright.   
The leader freezes up when he feels the cold edge at his throat, slowly rising all arms as a clear sign of defeat. Being this close to the huge fourarmed creature you notice small things about them you haven't before. Just like Maiden and Snork they aren't just skeletons, having some resemblance to fleshmade creatures. You had this thought before, but now that you can feel the soft flesh of his throat underneath your hand you are sure about it.   
The slavers all just stare at you with panic, the children hidden around, afraid and unsure, but ready to go by your command. Wlad, so far just as shocked, seems to realize what this is. You can't really decipher what kind of emotions he's going through. It seems he's a bit angry, but also unsure if you really mean harm. He does know you, even if he maybe doesn't realize it. He knows you don't want to cause any unnecessary bloodshed.   
Slowly he walks forward, tail flicking cautiously. Not being able to speak your language he just stares at you, slightly lifting his eyearches in expectation.   
He jumps when the loud howl of the living machine echoes loudly through the city, her eyes fixed at you. You shush her with a stern look and she pulls back slightly, as if trying to hide in the wooden structure biding her. It's completely silent now. 

"Oně of yóu ćome fiŋd the keŷs." At first Wlad thinks that the statement was meant for him, but realizes it wasn’t as one of the children materializes from a nearby snow poff. Yarnus keeps close tabs on the other slavers as they start to relax at the sight of a single child approaching their leader. The leader himself starts to chuckle as he realized a child was searching through his belts and pouches. However he was quick to be silenced with a shift of the blade and a few cautious words from Wlad. Something along the lines of "not a child". After a bit of searching the child finds a ring of keys and lets them jingle, too afraid to speak up.   
"Tōss the keys to thē one in front of me." Yarnus wasn’t about to let any of the slavers get the idea to take a child hostage, right now he wouldn’t even trust Wlad. As the child obeyed the key ring arched towards Wlad who had to stoop to catch it. Confusion crossed his face until he looked up to see Yarnus gesture towards Masheenka. Words were not really needed by this point all the slavers understood what was wanted. Yarnus wanted their catch.   
"Ł E T Ħ E R Ğ Ø " 

The other slavers begin to chatter, shaken and in disbelief. Wlad blinks in uncertainty, looking over to her. It seems there's a bigger reason they don't want to give her over. You catch a few words, "gift", "offering", "saviour"... It seems they were planning on giving her to someone, presumably their Gods, to stop the sudden outburst of corruption and glitchiness that arose recently.   
Wlad looks at you again, afraid and unsure. Masheenkas eyes slowly switch between you and him. The children cautiously come closer, knowing they won't get hurt as long as you hold a knife to their leaders throat.   
For a while it's silent. Then the leader speaks up in a silent but angry voice and Wlad sighs, slowly walking over to the giant cage and unlocking it.   
Wlad motions the other slavers who resentfully help him get the chains and wooden beams off of her. She stays put, as if she didn't even realize she's free now. The slavers then turn back to you, looking at you with anger and caution. 

"Mąsheenka! Come ön out!" With the restraints gone she slowly moves from her cage and makes her way towards Yarnus and the leader. Everyone steps back, unsure of what this 'strange beast' is capable of. The leader with Yarnus on his back is the only one who doesn't move, most likely due to the knife at his throat. Her puffs of steam warm the air around them as Yarnus pulls at his shoulder to indicate that he turn his back to the approaching engine. "Chìldren! Get înside quiçkly." The slavers are soon astonished as not just the three children nearest their leader, but others, rush by two-by-two and disappear into the cabin. The leader is getting increasingly nervous as Masheenka's grill nudges his back. Madison sticks his head out of the window that Yarnus had been previously pull through, "Everyone is accounted for, we should leave post haste." Every time he spoke Yarnus could swear that he was related to Maiden, but he'd have to ask once they were all safe.   
The only problem he had now was how to safely let go of the leader. Now that Masheenka was near he grabbed onto her front grill with his legs and pulled himself up and away while releasing the leader. Thankful to be free from both the blade and the beast he stumbled away before looking back. Yarnus stood on the grill with Masheenka eyes illuminating him from behind. His eyes glowed nearly as bright as hers, making a strange mix of white and yellow light. The slavers rushed to their leader's side and were stuck with the same vision of the two. Before they could react they were all hit with small projectiles to distract them as Masheenka moved forward and around them to leave into the darkness.   
Everyone was stunned as they looked around at each other... those projectiles... were the large and medium 'coins' that Yarnus had in his pockets.   


Keeping your balance on the front grill isn't as easy, but you can feel her gently counterbalance you with every turn. As fast as she can yet trying her best not to break anything she moves past the houses, her enormous spiky wheels leaving the road dug up and ruined. You're sure they'll be able to fix it, no sense in worrying about that.   
Slowly you turn around to her face, giving her a small huge before you attempt climbing in, being helped by the children. Once you get inside you're treated to a sad sight. It seems those idiots tried to somehow break in? The walls of her cabin are beaten, some even dented a bit. She constantly moves one of her walls, trying to make it fit, but not having luck. Poor thing.   
The children are positively terrified and you're sure they would never get inside the giant beast were it not for the situation. Masheenkas huge body rumbles and her wheels rumble on the rough terrain, scaring them even further. They are all curled up together in the centre, holding onto Madison with their big scared eyes on you.   


Yarnus takes in the scene before him. The state of Masheenka’s interior just seemed to accentuate the looks of terror from the children. Why were they not rejoicing or celebrating their freedom… the ungrateful brats. A part of his mind had been influenced too much by Tzacl creeped in. He simply sighed and moved to brace the piece of wall. The children followed his every move and he found himself staring back at them in kind. That’s when it dawned on him. "Sõme of yŏu have famĩly in Tonrüka… but whåt of the othērs? From what litţle I know of codeliŋgs is that they don’t caře for the őnes they call ‘cave dwelļers’."   
The children whispered among themselves before Madison spoke up, "Perhaps you can take them their town next. The river to the south leads directly to it."   
"I unna go home ta Zweyzr!" Carl’s voice was nearly cracking under the stress. "Ma da’s a ruyal gard. He musta been missi’n me ter’ble." Then quieter but still heard,"A’n I miss him."   
At that moment Yarnus’ soul was as crushed as Masheenka’s panels. Pretty much half of these children may have been from Zwezyr, or what used to be Zwezyr. How was he going to tell them that they might not have a home to return to. "Let’s gēt to Tonrüka first. It’s not sáfe to travèl ańywhere else." Yarnus turned to work at adjusting the bent plate. He couldn’t face the children just now. They were all afraid, of Masheenka, of their future, and quite possibly of him.   



	39. The Kids Are All Right

  


You try your best, eventually somehow getting the panel in the best position it can be, with which she stops moving it and settles down. Pained and tired, you slowly slouch lower, leaning on the warm battered walls. Her gallop is slower than you remember it...  
You fall into uneasy sleep. You have a dream, a terrible dream, about Won finding you and your friends. In your dream he's a vengeful and cruel beast, going only for the kill... but something intervenes. Not in his killing, but in the dream itself. The flickering eyes and broken shards of teeth, many twitching arms grabbing your frame, a gust of hot breath smelling of rot and old age. The creature holds you in the darkness, falling and falling with you in its grasp.  
"LOVE IS A PLACE. LOVE IS A THING. LOVE IS A PLACE. LOVE IS A THING. LOVE IS A PLACE. LOVE IS A THING. LOVE IS A PLACE. LOVE IS A THING."  
It goes on and on and on, constantly lowering in pitch into eternity but never hitting any bottom.  
The nightmare is not what wakes you up though. It's a scream. A childs scream. Opening your eyes, you're on your feet in a matter of seconds, rushing to aid and protect whichever child is in peril.  
You rush out of the cabin and outside, your legs burying into the deep snow of some forest hillside... only to realize it wasn't the kind of screaming you initially thought. Looking around you see the children running about and building small structures out of snow and twigs. Masheenka is leaning her enormous frame on one of the enormous trees while all the kids run around and throw snowballs at eachother, including Madison and Carl. It seems almost bizarre to see them, so adult and serious back in the Horshtockian village, now running around laughing and playing like little kids should.  
Looking over to your big mechanical friend you see she doesn't look too good... it makes you worried. Now that you see her in the daylight, there's much more scars and dents along her entire body, some looking quite harsh. She does however have a beautiful decor of wild flowers and pine twigs around her bumpers and face. She stares at all the kids as they run around, occasionally bumping into one or raising her wheels to throw a bit of snow forward, careful not only not to hurt anybody but also to not disrupt the flowers adorning her. 

It seemed that Yarnus’ fears were not warranted. He didn’t really know what these kids had gone through, but now he was sure they’ll be just fine. They reminded him of the shipwrecked humans back home. There was always a period of shock before they started getting used to their new lives, and occasionally a rough patch here and there, but in the end it would work out. His heart sank a bit looking over the damage to Masheenkas body. "So muĉh for what the old mån said, they đidn’t treat yòu very wēll if they were göing to sacrifiċe you to their god or wħatever." He gently repositioned a few of the adornments to be a bit more stable. Masheenkas large form backed away from him and for a moment he was worried. She just stopped and stared at him for a moment before letting out a whistle and using a spinning tire to send a wall of snow in his direction.  
The whistle got the attention of the children who watched as Yarnus was knocked down and partially buried under the ‘snow attack’. Short melodic bursts of train laughter was soon joined by the children's and eventually Yarnus’ as well. As he extracts himself from the snow one the smaller horned children approach with a crown of twigs and flowers and gets his attention. "Dish is fur yew." They don’t have to reach up too much to place it on his skull.  
"You were asleep for the entire trip." The one he mentally referred to as Madison had joined them. "We are not far from Tonrüka. I asked your box beast to stop here." Yarnus smiled at Masheenka. Perhaps she was just tired or since she was asked nicely she had listened to them.  
"Her nȧme is Masheēnka, but yeah bringĭng into town wŏuld be rather ştartling." Now that there was a quiet moment Yarnus looked around and realized something. "I don’t bėlieve we ever gőt the čhance for propeŗ introdŭctions." 

The children hold your hands and lead you back behind Masheenka, where they made a small patch cleared of snow in her track. They sit down with you and begin to introduce themselves.  
Madison's real name is Nirvah, Carl's is Gurguba, the three littlest kids are named Filli, Padoto and Wemiem. A small extremely malnourished and always shaky girl whose horns have started to grow back is named Severka. Her jumpy excitable friend of similar looks and origin is named Klamarin. A fourarmed boy with horns sawed off so wrong parts of his skull went with them, who always looks shocked or confused, is named Timian. Two small cave dweller girls who appear to be sisters and almost always hold hands are named Lamsho and Devata. Lastly, a silent, unnaturally slim cavedweller boy with clawmarks over his jaw and hands won't tell you his name, or anything else for that matter. The other children have also never heard him speak, so they call him Niemes, a word meaning "no voice" or "mute" in their language.  
Once all the children have introduced all of their empty eyesockets are on you. Madison, or Nirvah, has meanwhile made a small fire between all of you, leaning on Masheenkas back bumpers or sitting on wood pieces and rocks found around. 

Now that things were calmer he introduced himself again. "My ňame is Yarnus. I cŏme from a place so far åway that I don't knõw how to get back." He thinks to himself that he should keep things simple. "I grew up in a hőme with many diffeŗent kinds of childrēn and we all workęd on a farm." Some of the children looked shocked, while some wondered about the farm. "It wasn't like the Hòrshtoċkians. It was as mūch, MUĈH, better a life thån that." A few of the more curious children started asking questions. What sort of animals they had and what not. Yarnus confessed that he grew up with a lot of siblings, mostly 'sisters' but only one 'brother', a squid-like fellow no one really liked much.  
"But wut was dat u sayed up on da o'coot?" the larger cave dweller now known as Gurguba asked. Yarnus had to think back, since it wasn't one of his finer moments of his history.  
"King Jårl is the lëader from where I come frōm. He 'adopŧed' me and traineđ me to be like a body guãrd and an enfoŗcer of laws. That's wħy I couldn't just eşcape without pasŝing some főrm of jųdġment on her."  
Things were quiet for a moment with everyone thinking back to the previous days, or years for some of children. Masheenka let out a soft puff and a tire twitched, bringing a smile back to his face. Yarnus gave her bumper a soft pat and introduced her as well. "This is Masheënka. She can't tałk and I don't know evērything about her, but I do belĩeve she helped build Zwězyr." The look on the cave dwellers faces were priceless as they realized her age. "I found her trāpped in the tunńels and brouģht her to a frienďly sčientist who gave her whëels. Then she came and fouńd me and saved my lifé." 

The children are positively mesmerized by your story, though you can tell they are a lot more interested in Masheenka. You don't blame them, in fact you feel a bit superior, knowing the giant machine has you as her special person. If you were a kid like the others are you'd be the happiest kid in the damn world with such a cool creature as your friend.  
The children ask about your sisters, about how you got here and how you became friends with Masheenka. You answer their questions, sprinkling in a bit more adventure than it really was just for the sake of the story. You can see the kids now regard you as almost a god, hearing all about you wrestling a giant canimorph and what not.  
After a while the excitement dies down a bit, Nirvah bringing back the seriousness of the situation.  
"These friends of yours, they had been kidnapped by the slavers as well?" You nod. "I might know where your friends are. Timian had been sold alongside a big fellow who looked like a cave dweller but wasn't. It might have been Omega." He turns to the wide eyes of the smaller fourarmed native. "Do you remember who bought him?"  
Timian nods shakily. "The Lady of Purpur did." That's all he says. Quickly, you say your other friend had also been bought by the same person. Nirvah looks to you with great worry.  
"That is not good. I don't know what she does to her slaves but I know nobody wants to be her slave."  
"I heard she makes them clear snow all day every day until their hands fall off!" Padoto says.  
"No, she makes them eat veggies forever!" Klamarin corrects him.  
"Werll I hreard shre's a canribrall and trhat shre EARTS CHRILDRERN!" Gurguba says, grinning wickedly at the younger kids who hold onto one another in fear. Nirvah shakes his head.  
"I hear she lets other people hurt them in awful ways for profit. Whatever she does, your friends are in as bad a place as it gets. You should go and save them as fast as you can. We can make it to Tonrüka from here on our own."  
This sets off a huge whining cascade from the other kids. Nobody wants to let go of you or Masheenka and walk on their own feet in the snow all the way to the city, but before the kids can get too bad Gurguba growls and overshouts them.  
"SHURT URP Y'ARLL! Yarnurs gort to savre hirs frienrds, thart's mrore imprortanrt!" He looks to you, "bersidres, hre'll comre and vrisirt us writh Mashreenrka arfter he savres threm, righrt?" 

"Yes I wīll. All of us wilļ come vişit. We've got sőme other frięnds who went ŧo Tonrüka already." Yarnus stood and embraced each child in turn. Getting somewhat flushed as Lamsho and Devata hugged in unison and then squealed something that sounded like, Prince Sandwich.  
"Ňow there is ŐNE THIŅG I need you all to prōmise me." His authoritarian tone got their attention. "Take cåre of each othër. Those with familiĕs take in thosę who don't. If you can't theń find the brōthers Maiden aŋd Snork and ask thėm to treat you as if you wëre my kin. You are all family iń a way nŏw." Gurguba snorts about being 'in a family way' before settling down.  
Yarnus goes about unloading the few things the children had from Masheenka before rolling out the length of cloth he had pilfered and finding several of those flat metal bits. "Yőu can have those if they caŋ be used in Tonrüka. I don't know anytħing about the coiŋage they use around heŗe." he said as Nirvah approached to bid his final farewell. "You shŏuld go aheãd and get the kids to tōwn. I need to måke sure Mashēenka is well enougħ and willing to taķe me to this Łady of Purpür." Yarnus sits on the floor looking around a bit at the damage and that one panel that just doesn't sit right. 

The damage isn't that bad, it's just very visible on her fresh new coat. All and all, she looks a lot like she used to back in the abandoned city. Only the one panel not being able to sit back in worries you, as she constantly clicks is, trying to get it right. She should be good to go.  
The children are now silent, some of them a bit pouty. Nirvah rounds them up before the machine, the kids hugging her decorated face lovingly, before he calls them back. You look out of the front window as Masheenka begins to get up, some of the twigs falling off. She whistles a long sad howl slowly turning around, her eyes fixated on the kids as long as her angle allows her to. The kids wave at you, telling you to be careful and not get eaten and to kick butt and also come back soon. You wave back out the window as your huge mechanical friend moves up the snowy hill until the children are out of your sight.  
You get back inside, sighing. You'll miss those little buggers…  
  
You follow the mountain ridge, Masheenka galloping through the snow, sometimes whistling for no real reason. You try your best to get her a bit fixed up inside, not having that much luck. At least you can clean up some of the dirt and snow.  
You don't have much to do now, just sitting there, waiting, imagining what your dear friends are going through... Trying not to think about that you instead decide to check your inventory.  
You have Omega's parka and the contents of its pockets. A folding spoon, a framed picture of him and that Marcus guy, a folded sheet and the cookbook from the abandoned cave town. You have some needles and threads stolen from the old lady that bought you before, as well as the fillet knife and a few pieces of some dried meat and vegetables. It should be enough for you to survive on.  
As you sit there, looking over what you have, the sky outside begins to flicker and crackle again. You look out the window to see better. It's even worse and way louder than before, ending in an enormous deafening crackle. Masheenka stops in shock, almost launching you out the window. She stares up at the sky that is now going dark, way slower than usually, blinking her eyes fast with uneasiness.  
Looking around you see you've cleared quite the distance, now standing under an even greater mountain range. The noise has started a few avalanches that are now rumbling down the mountains for you to see. Luckily the snow above you seems to have endured the quake so you are safe.  
After a while of looking around you hear a noise from somewhere on the other side, covered in boreal forests. A loud howl echoes through the mountains. Masheenka stops blinking, turning to it, seemingly mesmerized. Before you can stop her she whistles loudly in response. You aren't sure if you want to attract any natives of this cold wilderness…  


"No Masheėnka," he warns. "Last timě it was a trap, reměmber?" She lets out a puff and a quiet whine, knowing she was being reprimanded in some way. Yarnus returned to his distractions in the cabin. Inside of Omega's parka he had found his kilt and belt shoved into one of the sleeves. The kilt alone was too small to be of any use against the cold, but the belt would be quite helpful for his newest endeavor. Despite the snow outside Yarnus didn't feel as chilly as he used to. He peeled the layers of clothing off and nearly tossed the borrowed overalls out the window in celebration before thinking wiser of it. The howl from the forest sounded again but this time Masheenkas only response was to slow down. "Goöd girl. Once we ġet Tzacl and Ŏmega back we can chęck them ōut." Masheenka sped back up as Yarnus sat his bare pelvis on the yellow fabric on the floor and carefully slid the belt under the folds. As he wrapped the edges over himself and fastened the belt he noticed something under one of the benches. "Őh this is múch better," he said happily as he removed the pearlescent sword from it's hiding place. Now he felt a bit more complete with sword and fancy kilt. Perhaps he wouldn't be immediately recognized as a former slave should he cross paths with anyone from Krakögrow.  


You poke your head out the window, staring forward at the mountain edge illuminated by her headlights. The night is silent and calm, but you can't shake of a bad feeling you can't put your finger on. It feels as though you're being watched, or pursued...  
You stay alert, feeling safe enough in the cabin, the warmth of her metal under your touch giving you security. She speeds on through the snow and ice, rocks rumbling under her wheels, her heart chugging rhythmically behind you, hidden behind the plates of thick metal. It only now comes to you that she hasn't uncovered her inside like she usually does with you around. You hope the damage the Horshtockians did doesn't have anything to do with it...  
Suddenly she abruptly stops, her wheels screeching, sending you tumbling forward hard, falling under the driving console and hitting your head. You realize soon after what made her stop. The howl echoes outside through the cold air, a lot closer. She doesn't respond this time, staying completely silent and still. The howl echoes again, closer still, her only response a long drawn out whine of her whistle, followed by the clapping of her eyelids as she nervously blinks, slowly beginning to turn around. 

There was no ignoring it now. Whether it was the sad and horrible things the Zwězyr guards used or actually another canimorph. Yarnus sincerely hoped it was the latter. Then all he would have to do was remain calm. Gathering up the outer fabric of the kilt he drew it up over his shoulders for warmth and stepped out of the cabin, holding on to Masheenkas side with one hand and holding the sword in the other.  
The cold air made sure to remind him to add a jacket the next time he ventured out. Slowly he made his way forward towards Masheenkas face and looked out into the darkness along with her. A small part of him hoped that one day she could reunite with the creatures that she once was, but it was mostly hopeful thinking and bad timing for now. 

The strobing light of her reflectors as she continues to blink only adds to the scary silent atmosphere. The wind picks up slightly, howling in your skull, as the crunching of snow and heavy breathing slowly approaches. Huge red eyes light up in the darkness, accompanied by heavy growling breathing. There's no mistaking the creature and it's scarred face as it slowly surfaces from the darkness.  
Masheenka stays still, finally stopping her nervous blinking. Instead she stares right at the creature, its enormous jaws well illuminated as is very slowly inches ever closer, its eyes mad with bloodlust. For it to have tracked you all the way from where Snork and Maiden lived, it must really be holding a grudge. It might be that it simply knows nothing but fighting, the way it has been brought up. It's hard to sympathise with the abused creature, now that it stood before you, ready to lunge for the kill.  
It seems combat is inevitable. You definitely can't take on this creature yourself, but at the same time you have no idea if she's even able to fight. Last time her screeching was enough to send the creature fleeing in fear. You can't tell if it'll work a second time, not with all the effort the creature already made tracking you down.  
The cold air bites your bones as you stand there, trembling slightly from both the chill and fear. These next moments will decide whether you live or die. Both you and your mechanical friend.  
What should you do? 


	40. Mind Your Head

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ohhh. Don't forget to subscribe so you know exactly when chapters are posted. Things are about to get heated in more ways than one.

  


Yarnus had defeated one of these ‘things’ before, for some reason he couldn’t think of them as canimorphs anymore, nor did he want to risk depleting himself to the point of blindness.  
"Masheënka! RŲN!" he shouted and leapt up her engine, scrambling through one of the front windows. The creature responded in a similar manner, lunging forward to attack. Masheenka tried to dodge the blow as best as she could, but still was hit, flinging Yarnus from side to side within her cabin.  
For a moment the beast was stunned, perhaps it wasn’t expecting its prey to be solid metal, and Masheenka took the opening to race up the mountainside. The speed and rough terrain jostled the contents of the cabin, including the small skeleton inside. Yarnus pushed his magic to his eyes, for one he needed to be ready to defend Masheeka if they were not able to get away, but more immediately he needed better reflexes to handle her movements.  
"Yes! You cãn dō it!" he cheered from within as they neared the summit of one of the smaller ridges. He made his way to the side window to see how much ground they had gained so far. "You cån outŗun…SĦIT!" Yarnus barely was able to dodge the clawed appendage aimed at his head. The beast was on them. Masheenka’s entire chassis shook with every blow. Claws along her metal exterior filled the night with horrific screeches accompanied with whistles of pain. Yarnus’ eyes narrowed and flamed. This would not do.  
The next blow knocked Masheenka on her side. Unable to right herself, the beast jumped on top of her and stared down into the cabin towards its prize… only to find it staring just as intently back at it. It was almost like a scene from an old movie, the sky flickered and boomed its strange lightning while the two adversaries faced off for the final time. Only this time the echoing crackle didn’t fade into the distance, it came from below. Before either of them had the chance to do anything the snow beneath the great weight of the train and beast collapsed, triggering an avalanche down the side of the mountain.  
The rushing snowfall separated the beast from the train, tumbling them both round and round and hitch over grill until they came to a stop somewhere down the mountain. Yarnus awoke a little while after they stopped, his head hurting from multiple blows in the fall. He wasn’t sure if he was blind or not. He didn’t remember if he had blasted the beast, but he couldn’t see anything except white. Waiting a moment he felt that he was at least upright and surrounded by snow, though he wasn’t cold. He could feel Masheenkas warmth all around him, the slowing pulse of her heart felt as if it was the whole of his being. It was a nice feeling, like a complete opposite feeling of the time he had scanned her. He moved his hands but something felt off, like he was just rubbing his knuckles in the snow… and going in circles… He blinked in surprize and heard that same clink Masheenkas mechanical lids made. As he decided to try to move around more he felt his large body lift up and begin to shake off on its own accord. "What?!" he yelped, but it only came out as a loud whistle followed with a cacophony of equally startled sounding whistles.  


It comes to you just a while later as you finally realize that those strange and confusing thoughts arising in your head are not yours. So is your body, suddenly so clunky and hard to direct, and so is your vision, a bit hard to comprehend.  
You are her, once again. Unlike last time you are still mostly conscious, although it's sometimes hard to differentiate hers and your thoughts, your minds conjoined. She doesn't seem to realize this, at least that's what you guess from her thoughts. They are very simple, not thought in words, only abstraction. She's confused, not sure what happened, a bit stunned. Your eyes begin to blink nervously and you- no, she, lets out a long drawn out whistle. Slowly she moves and you become aware of the pain. Oh stars are you hurt. It's an indescribable type of pain, like pressure and burning at the same time, all around your cabin inside and out, your roof, your sides. The heavy snow pressing down on you only makes it worse and you whimper, pushing up until you break through the avalanche, the spikes of your wheels helping you scale the heavy snow and ice until you dig your way out, your head poking out the snow.  
But suddenly something terrible hits you like, well, a train. Your heartbeat quickens and you whistle loudly in shock - It's not with you! You can't feel its little feetpatters in your cabin, you don't hear its unintelligible yet soothing voice, you can't see its tiny unwheeled posture. Where is it?  
Still a bit out you explore the idea of it, soon realizing who she means. In her mind she has a very specific idea of you that's almost impossible to be described. She thinks of you as her owner, her driver and engineer, but also her family, her kind and, surprisingly enough, her pup. All of those ideas are joined into one in the singular concept that is you. Now missing, which causes her great distress as you begin to look for you, thoughts of fear and panic clouding your mind.  
You begin to pace around in the deep snow, your body burning but her mind directing you to go on, find you, assure you is okay and safe. Your movement feels so different, as if you were being held or tied up partially. Most of your movements are stopped halfway the distance you think you can move them which frustrates you and makes you feel constricted.  
You can't see much in the darkness, and what you can see is very hard to grasp and recognise. Suddenly you feel a feeling similar to when you shine your own eyes, only not spreading any warmth through your skull. The light comes on and you can finally see a bit better. But it's still hard to recognize anything. Things fall under several simple categories of "lump", "big lump", "small lump", "very small lump", "sky circle" and the inside of your own eye sockets, always visible in your periphery since her reflectors are a bit sunken. Once you turn around and stare down the hillside you finally see something that's not completely a lump. It's still just a shape, but staring at it long enough you realize it's some small animal. Well, small for Masheenka. Once it begins to jump away, followed by about half a dozen other similar legged lumps, you realize it's probably a group of deer. The jumpy creatures with eyes bright in your own reflectors distract you for a moment, mesmerizing. And another thought, not yours, not the machine's, emerges. You wish to run after them, chase them, sink your teeth or claws into them despite not having either. This thought is very small and very fleeting and leaves you confused and somewhat hurt. You turn away from the deer, digging your wheels into the snow in a mad search for you despite knowing you are right... here?  
You stop, becoming motionless in the snow, staring straight forward, only the pain interrupting the silence in your head.  
Your mind just goes blank in confusion. You can't tell where you begin and where you end. 

You are here / it’s not here. It’s tiny form is gone / but you feel so close. Digging in the snow doesn't change anything, there’s no trace of it here, nor trace of the different-same either. The different-same hurt you / how dare it touch her. The thought of a snarl crosses by, unable to be expressed. The pain is everywhere. Is it in pain too? / Is the big lump in pain? The big happy lump left with it long ago. Where was happy lump now? Why think of it now, need to find the tiny pup. Wheels dug into the snow, flicking up against the undercarriage. Pain again. / Tall lump is in pain. Confusion brings everything to a standstill as eyes scan the area.  
Tall lump was nice to her. "Tzacl and Omega are in danger!" Little pups strange voice drifted in her mind. "...Masheenka is hurt." There is was again with her name. She spun around but could not see it among the snow lumps. She let out a whistle calling to him and waited for a response.... None ever came.  
Yarnus was scared, or was it Masheenka? Both most likely but for different reasons. Thinking about that wouldn’t help right now, neither would thinking about which one of them was in pain. He needed to center himself, on what he was feeling. Her warmth seemed to seep into his bones, between them even. He felt somehow exposed yet confined at the same time. Her pain was his pain and he felt at fault for the danger they were in now. If only that beast hadn’t chased them down. A part of him snarled and he felt as if a part of her did as well. He needed thoughts of his own to drown out her pain. He thought of Omega first. How long had he been at Purpurs? How long would he last? What horrible things were happening to him? He hadn’t noticed the previous movement, only the sharp pain of snow tossed onto a sensitive area. The sharpness reminded him of Tzacl somehow. What would they do with him? There’s no way he would yield to being a slave, they’d probably beat him to death first, or worse, try to remove Groloms arm.  
It was all his fault he thought to himself. "Tzacl and Omega are in danger and now Masheenka is hurt." He could have gone on to everything little thing he blamed on himself but he was interrupted by a sad whine. "Pu--------up!" 

Both of you is worried, panicked, scared and sad, wheels turning in the snow without a direction to go. The more you think about everything that could go wrong the more she's scared, without knowing why, but oh stars is she scared. What is happening to her? What is happening to her? What is happening to her?  
You realize she's having a breakdown, too confused and terrified, her thoughts getting shaky and repetitive. Although overwhelming it also snaps you into alert when you realize this will only hurt both of you more until you're both a broken down mess. The more you panic the more she panics and the more she panics the more you panic. You have to put a stop to this before it spirals out of control.  
Happy thoughts, you need happy thoughts. You try to look for hers first but it's pretty much impossible for her to recall any in this state. Despite both of you affecting one another equally in this state, it's you who has the control, since you are better able to control your thoughts. First you have to think of your own happy place, calm her down with your own calmness. 

Yarnus had felt this panic before, when his magic first manifested. Still young and stumbling into darkness with little knowledge of the reason. His anchor then was a tail, hairy with a tuft of fur at the end. His ‘big sister’ would be there for him. Booping his nosehole with her tail until he could grab at it, then leading him around the house. His fingers would keep a tight grip as she went about her chores. Playing with it when they sat by the fireside until he could see again.  
He missed Adal, but that wasn’t too unusual for them. Growing up, some years she would leave the Weavers to spend time with her own family. They would always meet again, whether it was a few months or a few years, it didn’t really matter to them. One day they’ll meet again. He felt the same about Omega and Tzacl. They will meet again. Only this time he would be the one in control. He would find them. They would go to them. And no one had better get between him and his family. 

You hold onto the happy memory and it feels almost as if you're really there. The wooden floor warm under your feet, the fur soft and tickling in your hands, the tugging weight of wagons on your coupler and the friendly patting on the side of your cabin by your old driver. You loved the way people would adore you, waving at you when you arrived in the city, taking care of you, keeping you clean and running. Life was good back then.  
For a split second, a memory of different kind emerges, quickly shun away. It's the kind of memory you bury, that you never want to live through again, that you never want to even know about. But it is there. The day you misbehaved. You can only recall the feeling, the awful awful feeling, of bones snapping under your wheels and blood splattering on your underside. You only felt it twice in your life. Once before, the second time after the long dark. The first time was by accident. The second time was from anger and spite. Neither felt good. Neither fixed you.  
Both of you chase the memory away, not wanting to face that, not now. You hang onto her nice memories, when she got her whistle installed, when she would bump her face playfully into kids on the town square, when her engineer bumped into her with his face for the first time. The nice people that would visit her when everyone else was gone. The little happy moments that kept her alive in her own special hell. When she met you. The horror of almost having killed you turned around when she got the chance to fix her mistake. When you hugged her. And then, she was finally free.  
You close your eyes for a moment, your mechanical parts unclenching as your entire mechanical body sinks ever so slightly with a long long exhale, the steam escaping through two narrow orifices on the sides of your underside.  
Once again you feel calm, although still confused. But somehow, you know it will be okay. You will meet them again. You will find you again, too.  
You open your eyes, looking around. Uphill, there's only more snow, downhill, there's a sea of lumpy spikes, which you soon recognize are trees. Wheeling a bit closer you find them to be far enough from one another to drive between.  
You remember the beast, turning around to stare where you think it might have ended up. It probably ended up under the snow, has it dug its way out? You try to see if there's a hole anywhere, but your eyesight is not good enough for you to find any.  
You turn your eyes up, looking for the sky circle. It's not there. It hasn't been there a long time now, ever since the long dark, yet for some reason you always look up to check if it's there. You don't know why.  
You look back to the forest, then back up the hill. You could scale up if you wanted to, or drive further down through the forest. 

The forest would be slower, but it would alert them to danger better than the open snow fields. It wouldn’t be any good to roll up to Lady of Purpurs in their current condition. Yarnus needed time to separate himself somehow. The more Masheenkas experiences matched his own the more they melded. His first XP had been an accident when he lost his temper so many years ago. He pushed it aside just as she did and didn’t dwell upon it. What could he think of that Masheenka wouldn’t have experienced? She viewed the old town of Rotushko as her family. The image of being booped with a tail replayed in his mind, but then slowly changed to visions of Omega booping his nosehole… in bed. Such a silly skeleton, such a silly action had started something else entirely. That kiss, being held up and his mouth filled with that delicious tongue. That same tongue filling him in other ways. These thoughts were probably foreign to the train. She didn’t seem to have the need to eat, would she even have a mouth or a tongue? Memories of Omega blushing in the sunny grasslands, of him having these same thoughts filled Yarnus with a happy feeling. 

You wheel through the trees, sometimes crushing a rock or a fallen log under your wheel with a satisfying crunch. It reminds you of the game of crushing cans the kids of Rotushko and later your few visitors would play with you, back when you were tied to the rails. Fun game.  
But thinking of Omega derails those thoughts. Your mind slips around as you drive through the trees, trying to think of the soft warm sensations instead of the cold pain in your metal. The way he would hold you, kiss you, nuzzle you, make love to you. A hot breath of steam sizzles on the snow under you, melting it.  
You become aware of a deep hum coming somewhere from inside that soon turns to what almost sounds like a purr or a growl, yet comes from a machine and not a biological creature. Your insides move between the metal walls restlessly.  
This feels... good? The vibration from deep within shakes your soft insides, strange indescribable inner body parts rubbing together comfortably. You stop for a moment, leaning your side onto a tree which creaks loudly under your weight. It feels as though you should feel weird or bad about this, but you don't, at least she does not, just like an animal wouldn't. The inner movement makes your organs blow up in size slightly, the confined spaces of your outer hard structure proving too small. The metal plates shift a bit and your insides prolapse out effortlessly at your sides and under you, in an attempt to release the inner pressure. You immediately regret that when you feel the cold air nip on the delicate skin, an especially sensitive piece on your underside flinching violently as it touches the freezing ground. You cover up your underside with the many metal parts, quickly pulling the ball of tangled organs back inside with a low disatisfied groan of both your whistles and your steam exhale.  
Your moment is interrupted by a startling sound, the crunching of snow. You quickly become alert, looking around, afraid to find the aggressive beast. Your eyes land on an enormous lump with two lit up eyes, so familiar yet so scary.  
But they aren't red. They are a different, softer colour. A curious mrow comes from the beast as it steps forward, its tail raised in both alert but also friendly approach. More lumps follows soon after.  
You find yourself surrounded by the beasts, each with eyes of a different shade of green. You are somewhat petrified, unsure what to do, but they just sniff you curiously, not appearing to be aggressive. They are roughly your height, but you are far bigger and bulkier, which makes you feel a bit safer. It feels almost familiar to be among them and your breath changes into small rapid sniffs, even though you have no nose to smell with. You feel the need to roll over, but you know that even if you could you would not be able to roll back side up again. The creatures seem to be understanding of your shortcomings, one of them licking gently at the scars on your cabin for a moment before realizing it's metal. You are glad your hard coat is warm, because getting one of these animals stuck to you by its tongue would probably not end well.  
Your fear is slowly calmed down. Seems like this pack is in fact very friendly of you. 

The feeling of family, of belonging, fills his senses. Everything in him wants to stay with them. To roam the woods. Hunt together. Have a litter or two? But the pup is still missing. He is still missing. That vibration starts up again as members of the pack approach and nuzzle against their tires. They do their best to return the affections. Headbutting like they did before in Rotushko.  
The feel to roll over and play comes and goes, along with another feeling. Wheels shift uncertainly as pressure builds up within the confines of their metal body. Lowering the front of the engine to the ground, the chassis in the back raises away from the freezing snow below.  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Engine down, chassis up,  
> That's the way,  
> We like to...


	41. The Beast Returns

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I miscalculated my nights, so only one chapter today... maybe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is a bit short so I'll post the next chapter along with it. See the End Notes. ;3

  
  


Well, this is a situation you have never thought you'd find yourself in. But here you are, a train among a pack of friendly beasts, sniffing your back bumpers and nuzzling all over you with affection.  
It definitely doesn't feel bad, it's pretty great actually. Despite not having nostrils you can smell the indescribably winsome fragrance of your kind surrounding you. Your insides turn and vibrate with the mechanical purr, your chassis lifting higher.  
The claws landing onto your back startle you, one of the beast jumping onto your back. Your body clenches up with shock at first, your insides squeezed tightly, covering yourself with your metal exterior. The beast lets you go, running alongside you to rub into you almost apologetically. You calm down again, nuzzling into the friendly snout, about to release the tension-  
but suddenly something interrupts. A starling noise way off between the trees.  
All of the beasts raise their heads in unison, facing the sudden noise. It's silent for a while, then it echoes in the trees again. With a mad growl a canimorph of far bigger proportions comes into the light.  
The aggressive beast is back.  
The pack seems on edge. They stare at the intruder, silent and cautious, as it steps forward, hurt and most likely injured, but still determined. It points its eyes at you and lets out a wicked growl that turns into a furious bark. The pack jumps back in startlement, not wanting to engage in fight with something so huge and aggressive.  
You stand there, staring at the furious lump with glowing red eyes. The mixture of excitement from before and fear makes your insides shiver, scared and unsure. The beast steps forward, staring you down, its claws cutting into the snow.  
You can't fight it. You don't have the mobility, the weapons, you don't even have the will. You have to run.  
Your wheels dig into the fallen logs and moss under you, trying out the terrain. Slowly you begin to recede, turning around, but just as you're about to make the dash it barks out again in fury, knowing what you are up to. You try anyway, your wheels digging into the ground and you give it all your might.  
It jumps before you can speed up enough to outrun it.  
The pain of its claws digging into the metal of your back is immense, making you scream out through your whistles. You speed up, bashing your side into a tree, knocking the beast off for just a moment but it latches onto you again right after, harder, its teeth sinking into the top of your cabin. Cold air blows over you, not you, you, with the terrible agony of your roof being torn open.  
You howl with pain, trying to make it stop, but not knowing how.  
Then comes the other pain. You feel teeth clench around your knee, your femur and tibia getting almost crushed to pieces. Agony fills your very soul as you feel the hard tug, tearing her sensitive flesh, then another one and suddenly everything goes black.  
Your body, your arms and legs and head and chest, flies in an ark in the cold wind and lands hard onto the frozen ground. For a moment you're too stunned to even realize what had happened. You lay there, breathing hard, your sight slowly coming back to you, hazy at first.  
You can hear loud barking and growling, the sounds of a mad dogfight. Slowly you sit up, wincing at the pain in your leg, finally seeing enough to recognize what's going on.  
You see the green eyed pack madly beating and tearing at the bigger beast, tearing it down off of Masheenka and attacking it collectively on the ground. The beast is huge but cannot fight back to such outnumbering, each attack leaving it open to another bite or blow. It growls furiously, stumbling onto its feet, then begins to run away with its tail between its legs, followed by the furiously barking pack.  
The barking and growling gets further and further, until it's silent again. You sit there, speechless in pain, still somehow feeling her with you... but she's not there anymore. She's laying a few meters before you on the frozen ground, heaving, her eyes closed.  
The ghost pain that you felt when you were her a few moments ago lingers, especially with the sight of her injuries. Her metal coat is torn in many places, but worst is the torn flesh in her now clawed open cabin. There's a you shaped wound, twitching with pain and oozing some thick clear liquid. 

"no, No, Ñooooo..." Yarnus howled out into the cold air. As he attempts to reach her he falls repeatedly in the snow, part from the pain in his knee, part from the confusion of being her for so long. Every twitch of the flesh in her cabin made him sick so he turned away, focusing making his way to her front. "Masheenkà. I’m hērê" He whispered to her face, caressing it and pressing his skull against the metal. Weak sounds of the metal eye flaps opening and quickening puffs are the only reply. Realizing that she can’t see him,Yarnus steps back and into patch of snow illuminated in front of her.  
She heard his voice again. Her eyes focus enough to see a lump move away, a tiny familiar lump. ‘Don’t go’ she weakly whistles, afraid that her little pup was leaving her. When did he find her, or did she find him? It was all very confusing to her in the pain of the moment. He returns to her, pressing his tiny form to her, speaking those soft intelligible sounds. Happy, happy that he’s safe, she purrs.  
The warm metal seemed to relax under his embrace. He could feel the weak vibrations in her body. Thinking back to life on the farm, he knew cats purred when they were happy, and when they were hurt. "Masheënka, I don’t know if I căn, but I’m going to try to hèal you." He slowly made his way back towards the cabin. 

You carefully climb the bent step ladder into the no longer warm cabin. The hole in the roof is even worse than it seemed before, the hole reaching the open windows, one of the columns making up the sides of her windows snapped. The injury before you is huge, her clear blood spreading slowly over the bent floor of the cabin.  
Once you step in her purr changes into a groan as she puffs out steam. Seems like the whole area is in pain right now, you stepping in hurting her. You hesitate, standing on the side of the cabin, feeling her shift under you. Before you can do anything she lifts her huge injured body carefully and begins to slowly move forward.  
You try to stop her, speaking to her in a soft worried voice, but she just keeps going, slowly but relentlessly. You wonder where she is trying to go, until she stops again. You look up to see the green eyed beasts walking towards you from the trees, some with fresh scratches and bites on their bony bodies.  
You get a little scared, now that you're small and not exactly one of them. But the creatures don't seem to even pay you any attention, coming over and checking up their injured kind. Masheenka exhales deeply, her body slumping for a moment, and one of the beasts sticks its head in, licking the injured soft flesh softly. She winces at the touch, but stays still.  
The pack then begins to make a strange sound, repetitive soft barks, walking around her in a certain direction. At first she just lays there, but then gets up again and begins to move as the pack leads her. Not sure what to do you just hold onto the one spot that doesn't hurt her, coming along. If you could carry her, even a little, you would.  
You are led through the trees until you arrive to a hillside, a cave appearing in front of you. Once it's in sight, the beast quit doing the strange noises, instead nuzzling against the giant mechanical creature for a moment before the leader of the pack, with the darkest shade of green in his eyes, howls lightly at the pack which quickly runs over to follow him, all disappearing into the woods once again.  
You are left alone, just you and the machine. Masheenka seems a bit better of than before, still in pain, but the worst of it, the shock and fear for her and your life, is gone. At first she seems not to notice the cave, until you point her to it. She drives forth and stares her reflectors into it before turning around in the snow and slowly receding inside.  
The cave is quite deep, big enough for her to fit in and then some. As she reaches a good distance from the windy entrance she finally stops, exhaling deeply, her entire mechanism relaxing until there's only her breath and an occasional painful twitch.  
You are a little light headed, your magic escaping with the blood in your leg. You look to the injury in her cabin, finding it has stopped bleeding at least. Sitting in the doorway with your back into the cabin you notice some of her blood had gotten onto your hand. A little startled you lift your hand, the sticky thick liquid clinging to you, feeling warm even after being out of her body for a while. Inspecting it closer you find it to have about a million times more magic concentration that your blood does, the plastic magic seeping into you. Although it helps your state you don't feel so good, knowing the cost of it.  
Masheenka begins to purr again, her metal warm under your touch. The cave, cold a few minutes ago, is now considerably warmer with her inside like the worlds cutest heater.  
After a while another sound begins to echo in the cave. Her whistle, ever so softly, as if she was cooing to you. Her metal shifts, trying to hold onto you, but only accidentally touches a sore spot, flinching. Seems like the cabin is not the best place to be for now. 

Her magic is beyond impressive, even if he had the skills to heal it would have been a trifle amount compared to what the canimorphs could deliver. He was immensely grateful for the pack. Yarnus briefly looked around the cave, perhaps this was their den? If they considered Masheenka one of their own, they knew she wouldn’t be able hunt like they did, they would return soon.  
Carefully Yarnus backs off from the damaged area and back towards her face. The cooing whistles continued until he was within her sight again. There wasn’t much he could do for her now. Only time and possibly the canimorphs tending to her would heal her.  
It wasn’t very comfortable for Yarnus on her front grill, but it was the one area that didn’t have damage from that Zwezyr-beast. He settled in and allowed what little movement Masheenka had there to touch him. She had thought he was gone this entire time, it would be good for her to know he was still with her.  
After a good while her eyes closed and her light grip on him loosened. The quiet puffs were slow and peaceful as she drifted off to sleep. Yarnus would have joined her as well with how warm the cave was, but he couldn’t sleep, not with her hurt and unguarded. The icy winds chilled his bones as he approached the cave entrance. The Zwezyr-beast was probably still out there and would probably hunt them down again. Yarnus felt guilty about what had happened. If only he had blasted the thing on sight Masheenka wouldn't have been hurt. He vowed to not make that same mistake again. If he was 100% certain it would leave Masheenka alone, he would leave right now to protect her. Instead he stood at the opening, looking out towards the forests. Every now and again he thought he saw flashes of green looking back at him. 

You stand, your injured leg lifted lightly as you can't stand on it properly. You are hurt all over, tired both mentaly and physically, but you don't want to leave her ungarded just like that. Not after all that happened. You stand there, after a while sitting down, then lean on a wall, then lay down... It's cold, but you don't tremble, not anymore. You body begins to feel numb. Your mind feels numb too. You wonder about your friends, your home, all the people you have met and all the people you have affected since you arrived here. It feels like you should be sad, but you aren't. You don't feel anything. You don't feel anything...  
In your last waking moments you feel something huge sniffing over you, a warm tongue lapping at you for no more than a moment.  
Then, everything goes silent and dark...  
The man is there again, the flickering colourful lights of his eyes, hidden behind the round glasses. When he notices you, turning away from some kind of console, he grins with his shards of broken teeth. He turns to you despite staying still, talking before his mouth moves.  
" HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA " It doesn't even sound like laughter, just words. " WHAT ARE YOU DOING YOU SILLY BOY? DO YOU KNOW YOU ARE DYING? " He approaches. You can't move. He approaches, closer and closer, and you. can't. move.  
It's so cold. It's so cold. You try as much as you can to move but you can't. You can't move.  
" WE CAN'T HAVE YOU DYING YET! " The voice echoes in your head, so deep it shakes your marrow yet so high your skull feels like it's going to split apart.  
It's so cold-  
  
Like a ray of sun, warmth touches your frozen carcass, blowing life into you. You can't open your eyes, still unable to move, as something warm and soft presses into you from above. Like a living warm thick sheet, soft flesh wraps around your body, picking you up ever so gently. You can hear her wheels turning, finally able to open your eyes, and you stare down at the rocky floor moving under you.  
You are pressed into the soft flesh of her underside, her mechanical parts holding onto you carefully as she slowly recedes back deeper into the cave and onto a soft pile of leaves and moss, probably the canimorphs bedding. She lets go of you, laying you down, then lifts her entire frame on her wheels, slowly receding to look at you.  
Her eyes are once again wide and staring, just like her usual self. Although her metal parts are still torn and bent, it seems her flesh had healed well. She stares down at you for a moment, until you move a bit, at which she begins to whistle cheerfully, as if she was afraid you were dead before. She lowers her face into you, your bones so cold in contrast with her metal, as she nuzzles you lovingly. You can't help but smile, then laugh, hugging her back joyously.  
You went through a lot of awful moment back there, both of you injured, but both of you healing.  
You look over your injured leg. The bleeding has stopped, but it doesn't look too good. You wish Maiden was here with his herbs right now. It's also very cold. You have barely any clothes on, some lost in the avalanche, other when your almost got ripped apart by the beast. Masheenka pulls her face away when she notices you trembling, watching you curiously for a moment, whistling softly when you look up at her.  
Suddenly she raises her huge body on her wheels again, very carefully driving forward. You just watch as she moves her huge frame above you, staring in awe as the many parts of her underside begin to move apart. The same soft flesh she used to hold you before appears, then more, until pretty much her entire underside is bare. The softly glowing white flesh moves lightly, kinda like the belly of a snail. Before you can do anything she begins to lay down, smothering you with warmth under her like a mama hen. She shifts around, folding her wheels under herself too, the metal plates of her sides resting on the uneven ground. Once she's set she exhales deeply, and you clearly see the steam escaping through two long orifices by the sides of her underside.  
You stay still for a bit, unsure what to even think about this, still a little out from being pretty much dead a moment ago. You can feel her magic flow through you, the feeling so amazing, invigorating and... safe. Only problem is she is a bit heavy. You want to stay as you are at first, but you can barely move your chest enough to breathe under her. You shift about a bit, the weight lifting slightly, allowing you to move further back under her where the flesh is not as low, giving you a bit of space to move around and even sit up.  
It's very warm here, on the warmed up bedding, with her right above you. You feel a bit more lively, a bit more optimistic and positive. You don't know if it's from the situation or an effect of her magic on you. You look over the white organs with a slight silver tint, trying to connect what you see with what you felt when you were her a while ago.  
You are now past her exhaling orifices. It seems they don't breathe any air in, only steam out, and sometimes not even that. Further down is a bumpy soft patch of some kind of tubes, grown together into the wall, more to the right side of her belly. When you run your hand over one you can feel something move inside, pulling your hand away, a little startled. To the back is a small round bump, sometimes squeezing up. Strange sounds come from it, like when you rub smooth pebbles together. But that's not what gets the most of your attention.  
To the left side, between the round organ and the patch of inner tubes, is another strange shape growing out of her. Two soft fleshy bumps, forming a sort of V, with another, rounder bump between. You can't help but stare at it, sort of feeling like you know what it is. You recall the feeling when this particular bump touched the freezing ground, a bit similar to when you'd touch a certain part of your own body with a cold hand on a winter night.  
For a moment you sit there in silence, your cheeks yellow, just staring at it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yea........  
> If you haven't guessed, the next chapter is NSFW.  
> THE... WHOLE... CHAPTER...  
> Masheenka's a big girl with big needs.


	42. *Getting Railed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything... "Getting Railed"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I normally would post NSFW tags here, but one of them is a plot point so I'm going to leave it as a surprise. (actually I put them in the End Notes if it worries you.) Otherwise I'm pretty sure ya'll are aware that there's going to be some train fucking in this here chapter.

  


This entire chapter, and debatedly part of the next is all NSFW. Next chapter will have a summary in the notes. 

Yarnus runs a hand over his skull pausing over his sockets while his face further flushes. It was like being back home with his sisters and walking in on sights not meant for him. With his eyes closed Yarnus leaned into a warm fleshy bit of her underbelly. Her magic warmed his bones, flowing into him as if it needed to fill some sort of void within. After a while he began to feel… something, almost like something was wrong, no… just different. What it was exactly he couldn't figure out. Perhaps it was the kilt. He hadn't finished properly placing it before they had been caught and after all that had happened it was now a mess of bundled and torn fabric. The belt was now uncomfortably tight. Without bothering to open his eyes Yarnus loosened and refastened it to a more accommodating size.  
The warmth of her body combined with his shut eyes made sleep almost inevitable. The canimorphs bedding wasn't as luxurious as the bed back at Violets, but that didn't stop his mind from wandering back to it. He laid there on the bed of moss, one hand reaching up to pet her underside while his mind drifted among pleasant memories. She began to purr again, the vibration tingling his fingers as he softly explored her nearby flesh. As he continued he noticed he didn't need reach as far. Something felt familiar about all this. Slowly he opened his eyes and looked around. It seemed brighter and her underside was much closer than before. He sat up on his elbows, not only was there less room to fully sit up, but his belt dug into his belly again.  
Was this the cause of the strangeness he felt?  
Yarnus ran his hand over the taut mass on his abdomen. It was strange that he felt the heat of magic within him but his bones still felt cold. It was like all the magic filling him was directed to his belly. Panic filled his head as he remembered Omega ever so casually mentioning nearly dying back when he first learned to store magic. The big guy never did explain what had gone wrong. Perhaps it was an imbalance of magic? Yarnus quickly willed some of the magic back into his body only to be surprised at how fast it affected him. Beads of sweat like magic formed on his bones and his tongue materialized on its own accord panting in an attempt to cool the heat now coursing through him. He rolled over onto his hands and knees. The touch, the sensation of anything against his bones was unbearable. Everywhere that once ached now stung a bit as everything else tingled… not in a totally unpleasant way.  
This was why he felt strange before. While different than all of his previous ones Yarnus recognized these feelings. He was having a magic surge, a ‘heat’ as some others would call it. Normally he would have felt it slowly building in his bones and could have prepared for it, but since he had a new way to store the excess magic, it had built up without him realizing it. Now that magic storing stomach was straining against the belt constricting it. The folds of fabric slipping and softly rubbing along his sacrum and ilium while he fumbled with his belt didn't help his condition much. Once the belt was unlatched he rolled onto his back towards a more open area under Masheenka. 

You lay on your back, breathing heavily, your head spinning a bit. The magic surging through your bones calms down slightly, not enough to get the needy feeling away but enough for you to start thinking again.  
Some of these states you were able to power through, but not this one, you were certain of that. It wasn't that it would be that much stronger, but it was already happening in full swing and... it felt as though your magic didn't listen to you as well it should. Looking up at the mass of white silver flesh it comes to you that perhaps it's because it's her magic and not yours that is currently filling most of your body.  
Oh stars this is unbearable.  
Your chest moves up and down as you heave, trying hard to suppress the tingling, the neediness surging through you, but you wouldn't be able to stop even if you weren't currently right under a soft warm mass of flesh. Even a light touch from her forces a shaky deep sound out of you, your magic urging you to get more-  
But you stop yourself, even in this state. You can't just use her like this. She might be "just" a machine or an animal, but for you she has all the rights a person should have. She can't consent to you, how would you know if she'd hate or like you to t-touch her? To press your face into her soft underside, reach around and search with your palms, let her purr spread through your bones-  
You exhale a long shaky breath of pure misery, rolling over onto your knees and elbows again. You try to figure out something, anything, to make the neediness go away. Back in your homeland it was fighting that was the best alternative. You so wish Tzacl was here so you could challenge him, have a good spar, you wouldn't have to be afraid to go all out on him. Omega wouldn't be that good for a fight but you're sure he'd know how to take good care of you, make you feel great, so great.  
Your bit twitches lightly and you realize after you've already done it that your fingers are held around it, your hand moving almost on its own accord. You try to stop yourself but you just can't, shaking and panting, cursing under your breath. It's not doing you great but at least it's doing you something. You exhale through your teeth, lifting yourself up a bit on your free arm-  
The moment your head touches her underbelly the purring vibration begins to shake you, quite literally, knocking your breath out of your ribcage for a moment. It's now so loud it doesn't sound like an animal as much as an actual machine anymore. Before you can pull away something big and hot slaps against your back, lightly, yet it makes you yelp anyway.  
You pull away, turning over just enough to see, your scalp wet with sweat.  
The bumpy bits are now bigger, blown up with magic. The round middle bump is hanging down from a fold that almost looks like foreskin. It... doesn't look like a real male bit, not exactly. It has no head, just a blunt end with no hole. It's not very long (not for a creature this size anyway) but quite big, about the same girth as Omega, soft, not hard... You try your best but can't stop your head from adding a sneaky "yet" to that thought. 

The musky air in the now shrinking space smelled of things he wasn't familiar with, and some that were. Plumhelmet tea and vanilla came to mind, along with the salty sea and thunderstorms. Perhaps this was the smell of her magic. Her blood certainly contained much more magic than he’s ever seen. It would make sense that other fluids had their fair share as well. His tongue ran across his teeth as he wondered what she tasted like.  
His hand hadn’t stopped it’s ministrations. The heated magic swelled his member beyond its normal dimensions. Not excessively, but enough that the sensations were quite different than normal. Yarnus fell to his back. There was no way he could take care of himself one handed. The other hand joined the first, adding pressure to his head as he bucked up into it. Half-lidded he watched as Masheenk’s appendage disappeared and reappeared out of his line of sight. All the while imagining it entering him like the morning with Omega. He could almost swear that it was twitching and growing, but he couldn’t be sure. It wasn’t long until he began to shudder to the point that his legs couldn’t keep the motions.  
Sitting up his skull pressed against her underside again. This time he expected the vibrations, but still he still wasn’t prepared. Every ounce of him wanted to pounce her, despite the fact that she was many times larger than him… though honestly that wasn’t something that would turn him off. He pulled away and curled into himself, legs spread as wide apart as he could without bumping into either of her sides. Both hands went to his shaft again, only this time one slipped further down. As his hand passed by his pubic arch a finger curled around it and into another sensitive mass of flesh. It was rare for him to summon both genitals, perhaps he was inspired by her own, but in his condition he was actually surprised he hadn’t somehow formed a prehensile tail or tentacles. Pumping away while exploring himself with one, then two fingers, seemed to be getting himself close. He could feel the magic tensing up in his belly… just one...more...finger...  
Plunging the third finger in, he arched back, forgetting all about the cramped space for a moment. Masheenkas vibrations traveled through his bones. Every feeling was suddenly multiplied and he inhaled so hard his ribs ached a moment before he moaned in release. Golden magic infused fluids are repeatedly propelled a short distance from the shaking skeleton. After a few moments there is a substantial pool below him. Panting, Yarnus tries to focus on the pool. It’s shimmering is a bit different than the past, almost glittery. He can make out some reflections of the space around him and something he sees causes his head to shoot up. The fleshy bit that was hanging previously seems to be closer… and a bit more firm.  
For a moment he just sits and stares. His previous release still sending small shocks through his frame. This heat was proving to be a strange one. Perhaps his perception of time was altered in the Void, but it seemed too soon since his last one. Another thought crossed his mind. Since they had been strangely joined earlier perhaps they were influencing each other. Yarnus was filled with her magic… perhaps this was her heat. She had been alone for a very long time. There really wasn’t anyway he could tell the difference. The only thing he could really do, now that his head was a little clearer, was the same thing he had done when they first met.  
Yarnus placed a hand on her belly and slowly brought it towards her swollen lumps, watching closely to any sign that she was uncomfortable. 

The vibration of her mechanical purr shakes your hand as you slowly trace it down her underbelly, over the patch of soft wrinkly skin covering the inner tubes and further down. Her flesh shivers lightly under your touch and she lets out a deep whistle along with a deep deep exhale of her steam belly orifices. The small room fills with her hot breath and the fleshly ceiling lowers slightly, your hand going further down, reaching what you guess might be a strange variation of a clit.  
You stop, a bit startled when she pulls back, her purr turning into a whirr for a moment. You pull your hand back but before you can get worried another hot breath blows over your back. The appendage raises, the foreskin or perhaps hood pulling back and suddenly her wheels turn slightly, the entire creature moving a step forward. The huge sensitive piece of flesh bumps into the side of your face, feeling wet and hot, then rests down on your shoulder. For a moment you stay still, feeling her move the mass of flesh forward as if trying to buck her hips without having any, the firm smooth appendage rubbing over your shoulder, neck and cheek. 

Yarnus let’s out a small giggle and nuzzles against the probing flesh. "You’ve bĕën sõ alone, haven't yöu," he coos as his hands begin to explore her fascinating body. The pulsing motion continues as he lets the flesh rock on his shoulder. His hands softly rub the shaft for a while before moving further down, fingers gently probing along until he reaches the flesh at the base. Her wheels turn again, first back a small amount, then forward enough to bring the V shaped lumps to his face. The swollen magic pressed against his healed shoulder while he stroked her length with his other arm. Not surprisingly she tasted slightly metallic as he discovered. His yellow tendril wrapped near the base joined his hand in his explorations. There was another gust of he hot breath as she lowers herself a bit more.  
It was starting to get a bit cramped. As he repositioned himself he laid one hand on her other lumps and then pulled back in as much surprise as she did at the touch. There’s fluid on his hand that at first is shockingly similar to her blood. On closer inspection it’s more watery, more slick, and while still containing considerable magic, it’s much less than her blood. For a while Yarnus stares at it before taking a curious lick. This was the source of the musk he had smelled. The salty, mild metallic with hints of sweetness. He was sucking on his own fingers before he realized he felt anything different. It was a gentle thrust that snapped him out of his reverie. His hand was once again wrapped around a shaft, but this time it was his own.  
As much as he wanted to continue with himself, he could tell that Masheenka also had needs. Needs she probably hadn’t been able to fulfil in ages. Pressing up against her he let an arm slip slowly into her slit while he laid gentle kisses on her shaft. It was warm inside her. Thoughts of how it would feel to be totally inside her crossed his mind briefly. She seemed to be receptive to the probing arm. Slowly she began rocking back and forth, both driving his arm deeper and helping with the stroking of her shaft. Yarnus was fully pressed to her by now, but he felt that he could be soo much closer. He wrapped one arm around the shaft and pulled himself close with both arms, something like a hug but he felt the arm inside her brush against a sensitive spot. A loud deep whistle echoes in the cavern outside. Repositioning he repeats the motion with the same response. She isn’t pulling away and the gusts of hot air are quickening… she must really like this. Yarnus continues doing the hugging motion, massaging and pressing the inner section he's found. Fast and gentle, slower and with more force, mixing it up until her whistling sounds like howls as it echoes off the walls. A gush of fluids flows down his arm letting him know that she’s had her release. Leaning back he cleans himself off with his tongue, her sweet juices filling his senses. There’s still an ache within him, but he has no idea if she wants to, or can continue. 

With a deep deep exhale she sinks her weight down, smothering you with her warm flesh as you helplessly lower to the ground onto your back. With barely enough space to breathe you get a little worried - she really is so much bigger and stronger than you, even a bit of thoughtlessness from her could end up badly for you. It's hard to convince yourself to stop right now though, especially in this position. Laying on your back her shaft lays over your chest, your pelvis and legs under the hot wet mess of her lower bits. It's slick and warm and so soft you forget you need to breathe for a moment. Gently you push against her, then a little harder, managing to shift your head a little lower into the softer spot of her underbelly. Your arms give out, not able to hold her up anymore, and she sinks back down onto you, the feeling of her cushy bumps pressing around your dick pushing a shaky moan out of you. Her bits twitch lightly with the recent release, still pumped up, still so hot, her taste almost intoxicating. Your eyes roll back and you moan again, just now realizing your hips are moving into her, trying to rub your dick over her heavenly soft cootch as much as you can.  
It feels too good for you to be able to think critically and before you can stop she begins to move again. The wet cushy flesh and the firm hot shaft begin to rub over your entire body, her movement quite hard, seemingly almost desperate for more. She whirrs and sizzles, steam exhales and deep whistling filling the cave. She's a bit less careful than she usually is which worries you, but stars does this feel great. Pinned down and rubbed all over, hot and messy and oh so good. With your eyes getting hazy you open your mouth, slobbering and sucking on her shaft, careful not to get it accidentally shoved down your throat too hard.  
You could take her, a thought emerges against your better judgement. Your head spinning and your breath heavy, synchronized with her movements, you open your eyes to look at the pumped up piece of magic flesh rubbing onto your chest. Well, she's not as girthy or as big as Omega... But your common sense is still with you, reminding you this may not be the safest idea. 

Yarnus is not known to have the best judgment in these times, but self preservation is still a pretty strong force. It’s quite obvious Masheenka is not fully satiated, but the same could be said about himself. However it’s starting to become apparent that his small frame may not be able to give her what she needs. "Heh. If õnly Omegă cōuld sēë you." he chuckles as he struggles to pull his knees up to give him some more space. Her fluids help his legs slide up while she still ruts against him, the hard elongated knob sliding against his belly and dipping dangerously close between his legs. Before it has the chance to breach into his own orifice, Yarnus grasps it, pressing his own length against hers. Keeping control of the situation he begins to buck against it, keeping his femurs tight at the base and his hands massaging up and down her inflamed magic piece. 

As you begin to take the initiative, rubbing and caressing her between your femurs and grinding against her needily, her previously rough pounding calms down again. Instead she's cooperating with your own movements, softer, letting you do the work of rubbing and kneading at her.  
It feels great. Her magic emanating from her into you along with her warmth, her taste and smell, the sensation of her flesh rubbing over you in all the right ways. With her calming down the whirr turns back into a purr from time to time, shaking you up, making you moan and your breath stutter. You continue to hump against her in a nice even pace, stroking, massaging and kissing her. Another long exhale of steam fills the small room under her, not leaving a single bone on you dry. You're covered in sweat and her own fluids, panting and moaning with her movements, your vision hazy and your head spinning with the approaching release.  
You lose it soon after, whimpering and holding onto her harder as you get over the edge. She twitches in your hold, exhaling a shaky deep whistle yet again, her purr turning into more of a deep rumble for a moment.  
You fall back, exhausted, heaving hard to catch your breath. For a while you aren't even aware of your surroundings, until a light but startling slap to your face wakes you up. You get up on your hands, sitting up a bit, realizing it was just her button falling onto your face by accident. It's still big and heated, but the firmness is gone. With a light satisfied smile you exhale deeply, closing your eyes and hunching over. Your head still feels floaty with the post sex high, slowly coming back to your senses, your thoughts flowing once again. You... you just totally had sex with a train. Wow. You wonder if anybody back at home would ever believe you if you told them. Though you don't know why you would tell them in the first place anyway, so-  
The now soft magic piece bumps against your shoulder, running over it with the sound of rocks being crushed under her wheels. You smile again, feeling her softly rub one of the two bumps over your scalp, then take a breath to say something sweet to her. But you don't get the chance.  
The moment you open your eyes and look up your face lands into the very wet hot mess of her slit, only a startled muffled yelp escaping you. Before you can back off she sinks down again, just like before, her high surprised whistle and a hard flinch going through her entire body suggesting she didn't do it on purpose.  
Time seems to have stopped for a moment. Too surprised to move you stare into the dim lit cavern of soft wet walls above you, the yellow of your eyes making golden shimmers all around. Your arms are held to your chest, your entire torso hugged from all sides by the soft warmth quite tightly.  
You are stunned, with no idea what to do. The thought you had earlier reminds itself and truly, it feels pretty amazing, so warm and soft.  
But you can't move. You can't back out or push her away.  
You're stuck.  
The realization hits you, your panic mixing with a weird, silly thought of just how funny this situation is. The idea of what is happening right now is absolutely hilarious to you, but you sure as hell aren't laughing, quite frankly terrified she might really smother you.  
You begin to wiggle, then trash, calling her in a shaking concerned voice, but you don't think she gets the message. Instead of helping you out she sinks lower onto your kneeling form, the soft warmth enveloping you further, and she begins to just casually ride you.  
For a while you can't even believe this is really happening. You must've given her the wrong idea with your movement up here, but there really wasn't nothing else you could do! You panic harder, trying desperately to get out.  
But after a while of futile attempts to get her to stop you begin to realize... you can actually... breathe in here?  
With her moving all around you you stare in shock, taking a few test breaths and really, there is breathable air here. How is this even...? Are her insides somehow filled with air because she's a train? Do her insides produce air? Or maybe her flesh just isn't airtight?  
You calm down, now that the fear for your life was proven unnecessary. It... really isn't bad at all, now that you can be sure it won't be your warm and cushy grave. Her flesh rubs and massages you from all sides, so soft and cozy... Only problem is you can't really get out right now. You chuckle lightly at the silly thought that the tides have turned, now the train rides you.  
She continues to move around you, not even all that forceful or fast, maybe a bit tired from before. You can just chill for a bit, enjoy yourself, then slip out once she's finished. You close your eyes, relaxing, feeling her flesh rub you up and down, so warm and soft...  
She picks up the pace more, slowly getting there. Opening your eyes you wonder for a bit before deciding to help her out a little, moving against her. You open your mouth, dragging your tongue over her, getting a mouthful of her taste.  
With a deep whistle and a loud whirr she goes tense, the flesh squeezing around you quite intensely. You get your breath knocked out of you but quickly recover, feeling her lift her body up in strain as she rides it out, soaking you absolutely wet. Your legs hang down with enough room now, setting your feet on the ground, your body still stuck in her tight embrace. You can just wait a moment till-  
Her body slams down and you both yelp loudly in shock. You get shoved in deeper, way deeper, only your feet still outside. Once again stunned you don't know what to do, your eyes wide, your mind blank.  
It's silent for a moment. Then she exhales deeply, deeper than ever before, and slumps down your feet slipping in against your protests. You try to back out but everything is too slippery and tight, you have nothing to push yourself out against.  
You try to call her name again, but there's no response. For a long while she just lays there, limp and unmoving, not reacting in any way to either your calling or your attempts to get free.  
Then suddenly the space around you begins to shift. You get startled, just staring as you feel the space slowly move, leaning over from a vertical to a more horizontal position. You lay on your back, gravity slipping you helplessly even deeper, until you feel the movements had stopped. The space around you eases up from the tightness and you exhale in relief, sure that now you can finally slip out if you just manage to...  
The final shock comes in the form of a sound that takes you a moment to recognize. It's the soft whir of her metal plates shifting. The metal plates covering her soft belly.  
She's unknowingly closing you in.  
You call for her again in a high panicked voice but there's nothing you can do. You grind your teeth, ready to get really trashing... but you stop yourself. You don't want to hurt her. She probably didn't even do it on purpose, she's just... well, she's a train. It's not her fault she doesn't know any better, you should've been more careful. You sigh deeply, laying back into the heavenly softness under you, listening to her calm soft snores.  
...Well, at least it's warm and comfy in here. And you don't have to be afraid of suffocating so... that's surely a plus. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NSFW Tag: Unbirthing/Vaginal Vore, heats, ecto-herm bits


	43. Making A Name For Himself

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Good news everybody! In the end-notes is a link to a drawing of one of the new characters.
> 
> But first a squick warning for the first part of this chapter for those who avoided the previous NSFW chapter.  
> Thanks to his unexpected heat and a curious train... Yarnus... is stuck... inside... Masheenka.  
> At this point it's non-sexual, but just in case I'll add a NSFW red bubble.

  
  


NSFW-ish: Non-sexual, but genital involved. Summary in the next red balloon.  


He was beyond the point where worrying would have done any good. At least this seemed to be a better alternative to being crushed under her or ground forcefully into the stone floor. A part of him couldn’t wait to rescue Omega and tell him everything, while another part almost wanted to keep this whole day to himself and Masheenka. Yarnus chuckled at the thought of what he had done. Yes, some thought of her as just a train or an animal, but to him she was more. She and the canimorphs were like ancient gods to him and possibly Maiden’s people. He had fucked a god. The grin across his face couldn’t get any wider as he layed on his back looking up at the soft silver glow surrounding him. The warmth in his bones was soothing, the heat they had both felt seemed to have been calmed from their dalliance. Her snoring softly vibrated through the entirety of her flesh lulling Yarnus to sleep along with her. 

You've never felt so safe and comfortable. Embraced by the soft warmth of her insides you fall into deep slumber, the most restful you've had in awhile, maybe ever. Her magic flows through your entire being, her flesh softly caressing you from all sides with the beating of her heart, her soft mechanical snores heard and felt throughout your body, making your breath synchronize with hers.  
You have a dream, one that does not seem to be yours. Fully aware that you're dreaming you just take in the partially nonsensical happenings, all of it seeming clear to you despite the dreamy oddity. It's a dream about pulling wagons full of monsters, thin and big alike, from one spot to another. You drive through a cave with enormous stalagmites and one filled with forests of fluorescent mushrooms, under a waterfall of shining blue water and through a garden filled with black statues with gemstones for eyes. All of that is seen as the same barely distinguishable shapes you saw when you were her, yet somehow you know what those things look like. You remember the emerald eyes of the big skeleton statue sitting on a bench, staring solemnly into the distant darkness of the tunnels ahead.  
You wake up, having no idea how long you've slept. Calmly, with your head almost blank, you stare into the softly lit silver walls around you, hugging your entirety. It feels great... but you are a bit worried about how you're going to save your friends from in here. You wiggle a little, trying out how much you can move. Nope, that won't do you any good.  
Suddenly the flesh around you shifts slightly and you can feel the entire creature move up slightly. Her snores turn back into her periodical steam exhales, a wall above you inflating from the other side over a span of about ten seconds before you hear her exhale through her belly orifices. You can't hear any inhaling though. How strange.  
As she begins to move you can feel the vibration of her wheels turning and her frame shifting coming into you through her walls. You have a good enough idea how she's moving from this combined with your knowledge of her. She seems to be receding, her back bumper hitting a cave wall.  
She exhales her steam a bit more forcefully, slightly distressed. Then she lets out two high short toots. When nothing happens she repeats the same sound, trying to turn around.  
Seems like she's trying to find you. Perhaps those two high toots are how she "refers" to you? Your own name in train language.  


"Masheěnka!" He yells as loud as he can muster. He’s not sure if she can hear him. At least this wasn’t like the previous time he had been ‘lost’. He feels a bit bad that he’s causing her distress again, but it’s not entirely his fault.  
Yarnus struggled again against her walls, still no progress, but at least he was starting to get some sense of direction. Above him, her ‘lungs’ as best as he could figure could produce air. That sorta explained why he hadn’t been smothered in his current situation. His movements were probably not noticed as Masheenka as she continued her calls for him.  
Stretching out as wide as possible, he still wasn’t able to make any progress to free himself, then a thought occurred to him. He had gone in head first, so searching for her exit with his arms was useless. Tucking his arms to his side he began to scissor his legs out gently. Eventually he feels his foot press against a slightly firmer bit of flesh. A surprised whistle and clenching of her walls lets him know that she can feel him. "Toot-toot?" she calls and Yarnus responds with two light foot taps against it.  


For a while she's silent, unmoving, presumably deep in thought. You try to press your feet slightly against the tight bit keeping you inside, earning a shaky startled steam exhale from her. Gently you try some more. You can just barely press your foot through using all the footing you can get in the slippery soft space. You really can't imagine how you'd be able to push your entire self out...  
After a while you can feel the flesh around you move too, squeezing lightly. Unsure at first, you soon realize she's trying to help you out, your thought confirmed by the sound of her belly plates opening. For a few minutes both of you struggle, but even with her help you can't do better than stick a foot out and wiggle it in the cold air outside.  
She whistless with distress, then draws out a long pitiful toot, almost sounding apologetically? You try to think of something, anything to do right now, then suddenly feel her walls clench around you, squeezing you tightly. Before you can do anything her belly plates close and push you back in, all your previous efforts gone to waste.  
At first you want to give her a piece of your mind, a little nervous by now, but suddenly you hear a voice from outside.  
You realize she had shut you back in because something surprised or startled her. Somebody had approached her.  
You don't catch the first line said. After you stop and listen in carefully, a little scared yourself, you hear the voice again, clearer. It's a raspy voice, like a raven cawing, filled with clicking and throaty wheezing.  
"Where'd you get that blue coat? Would you by any chance be... 'Masheenka'?"  
The train moves back slightly, puffing out steam nervously. "Nonono, no worries. I'm a friend. See? My hands are empty."  
After a moment she slowly moves forward, letting out a deep curious whistle. "Here you go, you like a little petting don't you?"  
You wonder what to do. On one hand you're sure you could get out of this little 'situation' with some help but, well, you're also a little ashamed. This is really not the way to meet somebody new.  
Before you can decide you hear more talking.  
"I know the big fatty doofus who owns this coat. Tracked you by its scent. I can take you to him if you want, what do you say?"  
By the volume you can tell they're backing out as they talk, Masheenka only taking a small moment before slowly wheeling out after them. "Good boy, come on now, I'll lead you through the south ravines. Glad to see you can still move alright, they sure did a number on you..."  


It's hard to tell what the stranger's motive is with that odd raspy voice. Even worse trying to hear anything from within Masheenka. Yarnus didn't like this at all and growled a bit as Masheenka moved forward and followed the stranger. Now was not the time to try to free himself, he had already nearly frozen to death just standing at the cave entrance.  
As they traveled Yarnus thought to himself. Omega didn't know Masheenka was in the grasslands unless Tzacl told him at Madam Purpur's.... but this person spoke his language. Did Maiden know a good tracker and sent them to help. No, they said they knew where Omega was. Either they were going to lead him to Purpur, or somewhere else entirely. Yarnus would just have to wait, there wasn't anything he could do right now.  
Shifting to lay on his front, he sorta wished he could see through her eyes again. The strange blurry vision would be better than nothing at all. Trying to think positive he thought about mentioning the faulty lens to Violet once they were all free again. 

You hear nothing but the crunching of snow and ground and the clapping of her conjunction for what seems like hours. You try to figure out which direction you're going and listen in carefully for what different terrains you go over, since there isn't much else you can do. Hearing the cold wind howling out there you can't but be a little glad that you're here in the soft warm hold instead of out there.  
The terrain suddenly turns from rough to flat and she stops, puffing out unsurely.  
"Don't be afraid big guy, come right in. It's safe here, see? I'll go ahead..."  
After a while she whistles softly, slowly inching forward, then picks up and drives further in, wherever 'in' is.  
"There you go big boy..." She whistles softly, probably getting more pets. "I'll go get that big goof. Here, have some of my lunch if you want."  
With that they leave. For a while it's silent, with only her unsure puffing sometimes echoing in what you presume might be some sort of cave or other room.  
After a while you hear steps and then that unmistakeable, cheery and comforting voice.  
"masheenka! what the heckie are ya doin here ya big- oh my stars yer one roughened up train!" Masheenka begins to whistle loudly, her whole frame shaking with excitement. "what happened to ya? how did ya get here all the way from violet's? n what the heck is yarnus's skirt doin in my parka?" He takes a while, probably petting or hugging her, then speaks up again, in a much more worried voice. "masheenka... where is yarnus?"  
To both Omega's and your surprise she whistles deeply and loudly, raising her frame up and down on her wheels, your frame jumping up and down within her. When she stops she's standing as high as she's able to.  
"uhh... i don't- i don't understand girl," Omega mutters unsurely.  


"Omèga!" Yarnus shouts happily as he's jostled around inside her walls. Apparently not heard above her, judging by Omega's reaction. "I-I'm ïnsïde Omega! I mêan... uüuùh... I'm stuck! In.... undér Mashëenka!"  
"oh? hold on buddy i'll getcha out." Yarnus felt the frame shift a bit to one side and the shuffling of a body somewhere beneath him. "how'd ya even... where are you?"  
Masheenka hadn't reopened her panels until Omega was positioned under her. The now familiar whirring of gears and tensing of her walls promised a chance at escape. Now the only thing left was how to explain the situation. "She sát on me..." squeeze "...nów I'm stuck in hėr..." squeeze "...somèwhere in hèr." squeeze "I- I dòn't knôw!" squeeze  
Between the squeezing of her walls he felt another vibration he couldn't quite place until Omega couldn't contain his laughter any longer. 

Omega is silent in surprise at first, but as soon as you give him your explanation he bursts out laughing, snorting and wheezing, audibly completely unable to gather himself up and calm down. You give him a moment, then another, getting a little impatient and flustered in shame of your current position.  
Finally Omega calms down a bit, still heaving, gathering enough breath to talk.  
"how'd ya- how'd ya get sat on? holy shit yarnus ya philanderer! yer such a ladies man!" You grumble as he laughs again. "and damn, that's fuckin... holy shit yo." There's a soft deep whistle from Masheenka, the same she made when you'd touch her. "dis like the second biggest cootch i've ever seen. who wouldn't wanna take a dive hey? lmao." By a harsh steam exhale it's obvious Masheenka is also losing her patience, sinking down a bit but held back by Omega. "hey hey, easy there girl, heheheh..." You feel his hand pressing against you through the flesh. "how long have ya been in there dude? are ya alright?" 

Yarnus gently presses back. He couldn't stay mad for long. Perhaps it was a lingering aftereffect of his heat, but he was ecstatically happy. Omega was safe. "Màybe overnîght, possiblë less. Can yoû- can yoŭ gét më out?" his voice quavered.  
"sure, sure..." Omega's hand moved around judging his location before pressing on his skull. Masheenka let out another deep whistle like before and Yarnus felt himself get pulled away, but thankfully more upright. He had never wanted to stand on his own two feet so much in his life. Hopefully the nap surrounded in her magic had helped to heal his leg like his shoulder had healed 

"alright alright, uhhh..." Omega chuckles unsurely. "i never had to like- ah jeez hahahah! alright lemme get my shirt off first."  
Masheenka whistles impatiently, but soon enough you hear Omega shuffle back under her.  
"alright girl i'm gunn put my hand in a'right?"  
Masheenka whistles deeply, the flesh around you shaking slightly for a moment. You try to push your feet against the tight spot again, eventually feeling Omegas hand grab you.  
"ey i gotchya! at least i think so...? lemme get a better grip." From her steam exhales and occasional squirming you can tell Masheenka is a little uncomfortable, but stays still, helping you as much as she can just like before. "yer doin great gurl, lemme just..." You feel another hand slip in by your tibia, grabbing you just under the knee. Then finally he starts to pull you out. 

Yarnus considered Masheenka a goddess due to her powerful magic stores and takes a little pride in what happened. As they sleep he sees her dreams much clearer than he had seen through her eyes previously. When they wake they attempt to separate but are interrupted by a rough voiced stranger that claims to know where to find "the big fatty doofus" Omega. They are guided to some place where they do find Omega and he helps remove Yarnus... after a bit of a good laugh. 

  
It's not long after that until you land with a splat on Omega's chest, welcomed by a hug from the still chuckling giant. Carefully he shifts from under her, putting you down, and you're grateful to feel the ground under your feet. Masheenka exhales deeply and sinks on the ground, obviously glad that's over.  
Omega seems to want to let you be free for a moment, but can't contain himself. He squats down and wraps his arms around you tightly, pressing you to his bare chest, chuckling joyfully.  
"i'm so glad you're safe n sound lill guy!" he pulls back, only to kiss you on the forehead, ignoring the mess you're covered with. "i missed ya so much..."  


Between the shock of the colder air and the amount of time they had been apart, Yarnus had no complaints about the embrace. "I missed yoü too! I've been sø scäred. They sąìd yøu and Tzacl wėre sōld tŏ the same horrible plăce." The thought of whatever House of Purpur was combined with the rapidly cooling wetness sent a shiver through his body. "Thė Horshtockïąns wėre ablë to capturê him. I was pretty sūre hè cóŭld escape on his own, but I'm glâd to see hé freéd you... ând õthèrs as well." Yarnus pulled away enough to look around for something he could possibly wear. "I think I should get decent bėfõrè mêeting any new frîènds you've made."  


Looking around you find yourself in a huge dim room, too flat and clear to be natural. The rock around is a dark grey, almost black colour, with an enormous metal door further in, beside which is a much smaller grey door. In that door is standing a huge posture of somebody, only their lumpy shadow silhouette and the gleam of their eyes visible. So much for getting decent.  
Looking back to Omega you find him to be speechless. He stares at you, worried and a little horrified. You get nervous with the look of him, then finally he speaks.  
"i got freed from the caravan before i even arrived there. i... i haven't seen tzacl ever since they captured me in grasslands..."  
Your soul drops. Seems like Tzacl is on his way, unless he has already arrived, to the place you've been told the horrible things of.  
"I can not believe this..."  
The same cawing voice suddenly interrupts the horrified moment, the silhouette by the door slowly approaching. As it comes closer you begin to recognize the strange form. A huge slightly flat fanged maw sitting atop a big strong body, the head crowned with strong ridged horns, curving back then up like sickles. Four arms, two legs and two enormous furred wings move in flawless harmony despite the bulkiness, a strong stubby tail following behind.  
It looks like many things you've seen so far, yet none of them. It has clothes on, similar to Omega's, but thick white fur is visible underneath it. Its eyes are the strangest, positioned slightly to the sides of its skull, bright yellow but not glowing, not made of magic. Its glaring black pupils dilate and tighten as it moves its head around, looking you up and down, moving not unlike some sort of bird.  
"Has that oddly shaped canimorph just... given birth to a skeleton child?" Its jaws only move slightly when it talks, teeth often clicking together. Omega shakes his head, chuckling despite the previous situation.  
"nah man, that's yarnus, my pal. he's an adult." This only confuses the creature more.  
"An adult? Right after birth?" It cocks its head curiously. "Are you perhaps... a godlike that had just been reborn?"  


If anything could confuse the large feathered creature even more, Yarnus began to blush over his entire body. Masheenkas silvery magic mixed with his own gave his belly a golden metallic hue that spread across his bones. "Shê... uh... I... ûh..." Yarnus reached down and picked up the shirt Omega had previously taken off and held it up to cover himself. "I neąrly fröze to dĕath ąnd she pùllèd me úp undër herself to keëp më wărm. Thēn..." Yarnus wasn't lying, but he sure wasn't going to go into details. "I wõke up ínsíde her not long bêføre yoû fõünd ũs." He distracted himself from the odd and questioning gaze of the other by examining his wounded leg. The fractures had been quite extensive, but healed with a unique pattern of scars.  


The creature cocks its head again, sniffs at the air a little, then grins widely. It laughs in a very strange, almost creepy way, as if it was choking with every breath.  
"I see! How humorous!" It turns its unfocused stare to Omega. "You bring along only the most peculiar!"  
"hahahah, yeah! you should see my friends from outside the void, that's one crazy buncha folks!"  
"I assure you your stories had gave me a good enough idea," the winged creature nods its huge head. Omega reaches down and picks you up, taking his coat into his other hand.  
"alright, 'nough talkin tho, i bet my lill dude's cold af in here. ya think he could git sum warm bath?"  
"Surely. Take him to the ponds, I shall go tell my master about our new guest," it points its head towards Masheenka, "she should know how to accommodate her." Omega nods as the creature approaches the opening of the square cave, then turns back to you. It always seems its eyes are staring out into space, so you can only guess it it really looking at you.  
"By the way, I am the Overvolve, or Ultrabeast. Welcome to the M Laboratories, train-born." With a toothy grin it then jumps gracefully into the cold air outside, its enormous wingspan spreading meters wide as it takes off.  
Omega waves the creature goodbye, then holds you closer, getting a bit more serious. "lets... lets take it slow now. you really need a bath. we can talk there."  
He comes to Masheenkas face, hugging her and assuring her that she'll be safe. She just seems glad to have you safely out of her, now just laying with her wheels folded under her, her eyes seemingly almost tired. Omega gives her a little kiss, then carries you over to the doors, opening both of them with a few buttons. After carefully leading Masheenka inside he pets her one more time, closing the door behind her and carrying you further down the dark halls.  
It's very bare and dim inside, but warm. A light breeze is blowing all over the place, carrying a heavy smell of burning metal. You walk up to a small ledge alongside the enormous room, Masheenkas light following you with her eyes but staying calm and put. Omega pets you in his arms, coming to the very far end of the hall and through a door.  
After coming through you find yourself in a very different room. This one is a smaller but still huge room, walls made of dark blue rock with light green markings. Much to your happiness there's a few pools of pure water, joined together with small cascades. Omega puts you on the ground, finding himself quite dirtied up too. He shrugs and begins to take the rest of his clothes off, smiling at you in his usual friendly manner.  
"go ahead, the water here's great. ultra told me it's geothermal or somethin, real warm n tasty, too!"  


Yarnus practically dives into the nearest pool. After being out in the cold and everything that had happened, a warm bath was just what he needed. He completely submerges himself just long enough for Omega to start to worry, before rising back up and shaking water out of his skull. "Ahhhh, this feëls amązing!" Omega sinks into a pool just above, sending a sizable waterfall over and on top the smaller skeletons head.  
"that one's a bit too shallow fer me. come on up here. we gotta lot of catch'n up ta do." Omega didn't even need to offer, Yarnus quickly scrambled up and joined his big friend in the other pool. What little washing Omega needed to do was impaired a bit by a clingy Yarnus. As they bathed he recounted his adventures with the slavers, them capturing Tzacl, one that saved him from being branded, and how he escaped along with a dozen children. He did conveniently leave out branding their owner. He didn't like to think back on judgments like that if he could avoid it.  
Yarnus splashed around in his retelling of 'being' Masheenka and running from the Zwezyr-beast, and how the pack of canimorphs had rescued them. When it came to explain just how he had managed to get stuck inside her silvery walls, he was practically glowing.  
"heh, hot damn, i missed seeing whatta wreck you are in heat then? so how long I gotta wait ta see that again?"  
"I'm still not surė ìf ît wăs a reàl heåt, or just triggerėd by linkìng with Mashēënka like I did. I thoùght I had ā few more weęks beföre my next one." Yarnus could still feel a small itch of remaining heat in him, but it was manageable now. However, he had caught on that Omega had been acting a little strange on their walk to the pools. "So what all happened to yŏu? Is thĭs Mellôw's labòratory? I wonder if Masheênka knows she was born hérè?"  


Omega rubs your shoulders, sighing lightly.  
"hoo boy, sounds like you went through quite the thick n thin..." He gives you a small kiss on the top of your scalp. "i was real worried for ya, but i didn't know nothin bout where ya even were! ultra would help me by goin out to hunt for the scent of my parka, since that was the one thing we knew the smell off..." He reaches over for his shirt and parka, along with your kilt, which is severely torn up by now. He begins to carefully wash your clothes while he recalls the story of how he even got here.  
"when i got snatched by those fourarmed dudes on their weird horse things, i was real spooked, but i also didn't wanna get beaten up so i surrendered n they honestly weren't all that mean with me... well, yanno, except the whole kidnappin thing. i got snatched along with some cavedweller n they took us up to this city. he was real terrified n kept talkin bout us bein sacrifices or somethin, i didn't know what the hell was goin on, didn' understand a single word dem guys were sayin to me. then some big lady in purple rolled up to me n apparently bought me? so next thing i know i'm bein taken to some place i got no idea where that is or what the hell they gunn do with me- then bam, ultra attacked the caravan and kicked everybody's ass! another slave i got bought with ran away, some of the fourarmed dudes got mangled n the big purple lady ran away with her cohort. i tell ya, i was a big scared of the guy, it's one savage motherfucker. so i just tried to be nice n friendly yanno? n it turned to be a real pal. got me here safe n sound n been helpin me ever since."  
He puts the shirt aside, getting to your kilt, rubbing it very carefully to not damage it any further.  
"from what i get this is mellows laboratory... tho ultra never said that name in particular. just calls the owner 'master'. i never saw that guy myself, but apparently he's pretty old n grumpy n doesn't like bein bothered, not even by ultra. i only get allowed to be up here by the entrance. he's lower, in the 'devil's lap', which ultra says is the smelter n workshop." He shrugs, looking up in the direction Masheenka is behind the door. "i got no idea if she knows... we should definitely fix her up tho, poor thing looks real mangled..."  


"I'm not sure hòw much we can do wíthout acçess to a wōrkshóp. Or even how much we cöūld dø even if we did. If this "Måster" is Mellôw then we can only hope thât hė mîght take an intèrest in helpīng hēr." Yarnus takes what's left of his kilt and examines it. The edges are beyond frayed and there's a rusty stain on one side. There's not much life left to it, but it's all he has at the moment. The silken material he had gathered was left behind in some frozen cave somewhere. Not that it was of any use against the freezing temperatures in this area.  
Yarnus was about to say something about 'the way to a grumpy man's heart', but the thought of a decent meal tied his tongue up. "I héard mėntìŏn òf lunch..."  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NSFW tag: Unbirthing  
> [Overvolve or Ultrabeast](http://lost-opium-artblog.tumblr.com/post/164032953076/here-is-the-cute-monster-requested-from-mouthface)   
> http://lost-opium-artblog.tumblr.com/post/164032953076/here-is-the-cute-monster-requested-from-mouthface


	44. Egg On Your Face

  


Omega chuckles, rubbing your head softly. "heh, when was the last time ya had sum grub ey? lets getchya some right after we dry."  
You get a towel, not one as fancy as at Violet's but good enough to use. After that you hang your clothes up in the hot air of the pond room and Omega leads you out through another door.  
You find yourself in a semi circular room with walls densely covered with some sort of ivy. The plants form hangings and curtains over smaller adjacent rooms, while in the middle is a fireplace filled with what looks like years worth of ashes. A partially eaten burnt up mangled corpse lays in the unlit firepit. You can't really tell what sort of animal it could be, but it does remind you a bit too much of a horshtockian...  
Omega uncovers one of the ivy curtains, showing you a small room covered wall to wall with shelves. Some are neat while other look very messy, as if somebody was searching through them and didn't bother cleaning up. Omega invites you in, showing you it's the same kind of cans of many many kind you've seen way back in the caves.  
"ya take yer picks my guy, i'll make some fire. there's a cauldron down here under the self."  


Canned food again…. Yarnus was really starting to miss having a good home cooked meal. Though the carcass on the spit was sorta dampening his appetite. Thankful that Omega was handling the fire he turned his attention to the shelves. Beans, lentils, leeches, plums, corn smut… complete with a crude drawing of two ears of corn going at it doggy-style. Behind a can of bees he found some beef and gathered up a few cans of vegetables to make a stew. "Peoplê in the Void cąn up the weįrdest stuff." he mused as he started dragging the cauldron full of cans towards the fire.  
"yer tell’n me." Omega gets up from the newly lit fire and picks up the cauldron with ease. "i swear a good portion of the cans i’ve seen aren’t fit for eat’n. like ‘bird’s nest’, or insects, or heh, ‘spotted dick’." As the large skeleton gets the pot situated in the fire Yarnus slowly empties the contents of the cans into it, sneaking a cold piece for himself from time to time.  
"I wŏnder why the Lădy óf Purpur wānted yõü änd Tzacl? I meán, she wėnt so far as to ărgůe with ā hŭge warriör over hìm." Yarnus tends to the stew while thinking aloud. "Did what’s their namé... Uber, ever mentīôn whāt’s gōing on with thë locals hêre? Likê why are thęy doing sacríficĕs. I remémber sómėthiňg āboŭt it dealing with the läņd and there was somĕ mėntion of a Brunġus."  


Omega brings over two wooden stumps covered with animal pelt for you both to sit on, then sits close to the pot, putting his chin in his palms. He stares down into the pot lovingly, his face right above it so he can fill his noseholes with the smell, humming in comfort. When he lifts his eyes to look at you you can see the love and comfort in his softly glowing eyes, so glad to have you with him again.  
"ultra told me the people here have this sacred place, way further up by some kinda 'wall'. their god resides there n they sacrifice him stuff to appease to him n keep their reality set." He frowns in thought. "from what ultra told me it's a real big deal for these folks. he told me a story where some guy didn't believe in their god and went up to the sacrificial cornice, a place only sacrifices and the most devoted believers should go. this guy would yell at the stone idol up there and just..." Omega pauses, gesticulating with his hands with a light 'pshhh'. "exploded. for weeks after that there were extremely harsh snowstorms and only after they sacrificed a whole lotta slaves did the weather calm down."  
You continue to stir the soup, listening to the story. Omega sighs a bit, then frowns in thought.  
"honestly, i never saw a god n dunn believe any exist, not in this sense, not here in the void. it might be some guy with the right tools, maybe even a hub, or maybe it's some sorta glitch." He shrugs. "ultra says it's better to avoid it all. i think i'll let my buddies at the sansuary know once i get to 'em."  


"Masheenka ànd Equilìbrĭà are thë cløsést I’ve sĕën to gods. But I guess théy werë bòth pretty múch created creätures." He pauses his stirring to contemplate. "I hope Snork and Maiden and the kīđs are safe. From whât I coũld tèll Glässwöll ìs thê region we wêre áll in. Tõnrüka îs where they went and Krakogröw is where Ï escąpêd." he explains as he goes back to tending the pot. "The slavers werê planńing on sacrïficing Masheĕnkâ. They had hěr boůnd neąr thē õdd statūe īn thé cēnter òf town. Prōbåbly not the idöl you heãrd about, but I can’t help but think thàt it mïght be cònnĕcted." Yarnus pauses to sample the stew and chew on the spoon a bit. "Sõmething felt familiar about it, kinda creépy...like a dream, or a nigħtmåre." 

The frilled end of the wooden spoon, which presumably had been chewed on before, forces you to spit out a splinter. Omega frowns in thought, rubbing his chin.  
"i remember that weird statue. it was really weird to me because it had only one pair of arms u kno? weird for folk that have two pairs to make a statue like that." He gently grabs your hand to borrow it along with the spoon, taking a sip himself. He grins widely, hummin in delight.  
"boi i missed your cooking so much," he kisses your cheek bone lightly. "lemme get some plates ey?"  
As Omega gets up to serve you the plates, the door opens and in comes the huge winged creature. Despite the room not being exactly big it goes around gracefully, not even disrupting the leaves growing all around the walls despite its size and many limbs. It points its unfocused stare at you, then leans over the pot, almost dipping its huge maw in the stew.  
"What do we have here?" it sniffs curiously. "Smells delightful. Seems to lack eggs however." Without further explanation it uncovers the can room with a wing and points one clawed hand to a basket under the shelves you haven't noticed before. Curiously you walk over, uncovering it to find what looks like real actual fresh eggs, oddly slightly beanshaped. In the middle of its curve is a slightly darker spot, making them look even more bean-like. They smell just like fresh eggs should. "Take from the bottom, those should be hardened enough to crack well," the creature, Ultra as you now remember Omega calling it, instructs you. Shouldn't be too late to poach some.  


Yarnus doesn't think much about the odd eggs before taking some from the bottom and hauling them to the pot. No one mentions anything while he cracks them open. The first few are a gooey mess while he tries to figure out how to properly crack such an odd shaped egg. Getting a good poached egg isn’t happening anytime today. Strands of cooked egg are mixed into the stew making it look like some sort of strange meaty egg drop soup. "Sõrry for the mess, these egĝs are not what I’m usēd to." By the time he gets them all added to the pot his hands are covered in a mix of albumin and yolk. "I noticed the ląnds here have strange variations of aňimals from my world. What sôrt of bird lays eggs like thēse? I’ve never seęn any like ţhese." Yarnus sucks some of the fluids from his fingers while he directs his questions to... the... bird... like… creature... 

Ultra stares back at you, blinking once with just its nictitating membranes, then again with its upwards going eyelids. It opens its maw to speak, but only an unsure croak comes out, then turns to Omega.  
"I thought you would- Have you not told him?" Omega grinds his teeth and points his wide eyes away, mumbling a little 'oh fuck'.  
"i-i-i didn' think of it! i mean-" Ultra raises one claw at him, then turns to you, trying to remain calm and collected.  
"Those are my eggs. But don't worry, they're completely safe to eat and-"  
"and real tasty- you'll see!" Omega tries to ease up the situation, patting your shoulder carefully. Even when struck with the alarming information you have to admit, even when raw it does taste pretty spectacular and exceptionally rich, especially the yolk.  
Ultra rubs its lower pair of hands together unsurely, its sharp talons glistening in the light of the fire like if they were made of metal. "It was the original purpose of my kind, designed to produce for our owners. I have derived quite far from what my ancestors once were, but some traits have remained. My kind can also produce milk, but I haven't had a calf yet in my lifetime..."  
"whoa, really?" Omega says, scratching his skull, "where do ya- i mean, from where does...? u dunn got tiddies dude." Ultra grins at the big skeleton, half shy and half amused.  
"I in fact do, even if not on my chest." Omega raises a bonebrow, giving Ultra a little bit of a flirty look.  
"u gunn tell me where then?" Ultra chuckles, exhaling through its noseholes lightly.  
"No. But perhaps I may show you sometime..." Omega grins widely, laughing in his more usual, more friendly and silly manner.  


Yarnus is full of all sorts of confusion looking back and forth between the conversation between Omega and Ultra. Concern over where the eggs came from slowly turning into curiosity about Omegas new friend. Originally Ultra had seemed a bit terrifying, but actually pretty friendly. I mean you can’t get any more friendlier than sharing parts of yourself for a meal right? Okay, maybe that was still a little weird. Now had they thrown in chunks of roasted Horshtokian into the stew he would have had a major issue with consuming it.  
Yarnus dishes out the eggy stew and sits down in a comfy spot near his big friend. "Omega did tėll me a little abøut you. Rescuing him aňd going out to searčh for me. Thank you for thåt." After a few mouthfuls of the quite delicious meal he added, "Our other frięnd was bought by the same Lady of Purpur thåt had bought Omega. I was hoping he cōuld escape on his own, but I really have no idea whât he’d be up against. I find it a little ődd that they use some sort of magic dampěning device when they don’t have mãgic like we do." He motions to himself and Omega.  


Ultra smiles at your thanks, then uses its huge broad tongue to eat the stew in a much more animalistic way. Its tongue is a bright pink colour, appearing almost cute in contrast with the enormous dangerous looking beast.  
"You Reminds and Origons are a rarity with a very good price in these parts," Ultra speaks while eating, apparently not really needing its mouth to talk. "Your magical bodies with great regenerative abilities, magic attacks, low maintenance when it comes to food... You make great slaves, especially for... some folk. The Horshtockians are the people who invented the magic dampening cuffs, exactly for the reason of enslaving the much more powerful magical monsters like you and your friends."  
"so what does that mean for our pal tzacl?" Omega asks between shoveling food into his mouth. Ultra raises its head with seriousness.  
"He isn't in danger for his life. The Lady of Purpur doesn't kill her slaves, even when many would prefer such fate." Omega stops eating for a moment, looking at Ultra with fear.  
"...what do you mean?" The creature sighs lightly.  
"She is a very rich and influential brothel owner. I'm afraid your friend is... going to become another one of her money making attractions."  
Omega stays still, just staring, eyes wide and mouth open. It seems he is completely speechless.  


"He... hë... he's not the sŏrt who...", he stumbles over his words. Yarnus never asked for the reason Tzacl had killed Perlo, but he was pretty sure Tzacl wouldn't ever submit to becoming an escort. "He won't survivė. If he can't esčape, he'd probably ŧry to kill himsëlf. Even if he did escapē, he wouldn't ręst until he had destroŷed the whole place." Yarnus turns to Omega with pain in his eyes, "We can't lèave him there. Thère's got to be sőmething we caň do."  


"we sure as hell ain't gonna let 'em do dis shit to our pal!" Omega says with surprising amounts of anger for the big guy, his huge canines showing off scarier than they usually do. "where's the fuckin place?!" he stands up, as if he was ready to go with just the towel around his waist.  
Ultra gently grabs Omega with both left hands, sitting him back down with what you presume has to be a whole lotta strength.  
"Rushing into battle will do you no good, nor will it save your friend," it says softly, "I understand the bloodthirst you feel, but you don't know what you are up against." It lifts the bowl of stew back to Omegas face, urging him to continue eating. "It is not just her own personal defence, immense on its own. The place is a favourite residence for many Horshtockian soldiers, slavers and warriors. If you'd want to save your friend you would have to fight your way through those as well. It'll be you against an army of very motivated fighters."  
Omega doesn't continue eating, just slumping his shoulders as Ultra continues to talk. It's obvious from his face he's hopeless, almost on the verge of tears.  
"we can't just... we can't not do something about this. it's awful and wrong and..." He sinks his head lower, gently pat on the back by Ultra's clawed paw.  
"I wouldn't hesitate to go to battle with them for even a blink of an eye, had I not know there was no chance to defeat them. Even the three of us combined would hardly even make it to her, we'd need a whole army to take the place down." 

"That is true." Yarnus resigned himself to poking at his meal. "They ăre strong. It took a dozen to subdűe Tzacl, but I got slapped by whåt I assumed was an eldërly ‘tockian and it felt the same as being punchēd." He helped himself to another serving. "I doubt Won would be williňg to lend up his army. That Zwezyr-beast did a ńumber on Masheenka when it ripped me out. I’m ŝure even the Horshtockians wouldn’t be much of a maŧch for it." Yarnus went back to slurping his meal before chuckling to himself.  
"what’cha finding funny?" Omega raised an eyearch at the little skeleton.  
"I was just thinking abòut the pack of canimorphs that rêscued Masheenka and me from the beaşt. If only I could tame oñe and lead a whole pack. That wōuld be somethinģ of an army." He chuckled to himself some more. "Just some wişhful thinking." 

Ultra blinks with its third eyelids, turning to you.  
"It's not too far from possible. I am well able to communicate basic messages with them using body language and scent, but-"  
Suddenly loud alarm rings out from the other room, red light flickering under the door. Ultra gets on its toes, its fur puffing up in startlement, and Omega drops his meal on the floor.  
"what the hell is that?!" he yells. Ultra calms down slightly, quickly jumping to one leaf curtain and soon throwing you both a white coat and pants.  
"It's my Master. She wants us to go to her I presume. Please hurry."  
Without much questioning both of you get dressed and right as Omega manages to put his pants on Ultra is leading you out the door into the enormous black hall. Finally the alarm stops but now the room is filled with Masheenka screaming in fear, her metal side screeching as she tries to press against a wall to hide from the scary sound and strobing light.  
You gasp, quickly running down with Omega following, and begin to comfort the shaken train by pats and hugs until she stops screaming and shaking. When her eyes open again she only gives you a fleeting look, then catches sight of something else, pulling back in shock with a sharp steam puff. Turning around you see what had surprised her so.  
In the red light you see a short hunched posture, hips swaying from side to side as it limps towards you. It doesn't seem like a skeleton or even a man, which you have presumed Mellow to be. Instead, once the strong white lights come on in the entire room, you see before you an old old lizard in a dirty lab coat. She's holding her small hands under her, thicks claws covered with ashes, her tail barring an ugly looking burnmark. Her yellow scales are graying with age, face scrunched up into a grumpy frown, staring at you with squinting brown eyes through thick glasses.  
Ultra quickly comes forth, giving a light bow to the hunching figure.  
"I got your note," she speaks in a squawky voice of an old lady, "where is she?" Ultra raises its head, turning it to Masheenka. The lizard lady walks past Ultra, her claws clapping on the concrete ground, paying you absolutely no mind as she adjusts her glasses to look at the train creature.  
Masheenka is silent, just staring, sometimes rapidly blinking her eyes. After a while she slowly, very carefully wheels a bit closer, taking a closer look. A soft drawn out whistle echoes in the huge room like a soft coo.  
The lizard frowns further, exhaling sharply. She turns to you with a mean serious look of her old eyes.  
"Did you do this to her?" she barks at you, not letting her piercing stare off of you.  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are starting to look a bit dark. Maybe it seems worse because we are a bit more aware of things this time. Don't worry there's plenty of fluff to counter the negativity.   
> If you like our story it might be a good idea to subscribe. I have no posting schedule whatsoever, it's completely random.


	45. Yellow Mellow?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't fully format the dialogue text because I need to rethink the fonts for the different types of people Yarnus will be meeting. Horshtockians will always be big and bold, as will some cavedwellers. Grasslanders are more elegant and so I'll italicize them. There's getting to be a lot of characters, but if I set them in groups it shouldn't be to bad.

  


"No Ma'am!" Yarnus practically snaps to attention so fast you could hear his bones clink together. "We were pursŭed by a trained beast frőm Zwezyr. It tore into her to rip me oűt." He so wanted to ask a dozen questions and beg her to help, but he didn't want to irritate her more than she seemed to be.  
Her scowl deepened as she looked him up and down. "So you caused this... by hiding in her like a coward?"  
"hey. my buddy ain't no coward!" Omega was quickly silenced by Ultra.  
"No Ma'am. I wasn't in contrõl of my body at the timě." Perhaps she was curious, but it didn't soften her tone. "Explain."  
Not wanting to waste any time he explained as briefly as possible. "After I resçued her from the slavĕrs we were chased into the mountäins and got caught in an avalanchē. There was an acciděnt, probably since my magic was ačtive, somehow I... bōnded with her and could see through hër eyes."  
The look on the old lizards face didn't' soften, but he could tell she was thinking about what he had said. "Also..." Yarnus decided to add, "She could use sóme glasses. Her vision is not as clear as her memŏries." 

"I see..." she practically growls, turning her eyes back to Masheenka. In a slow waddle she makes her way over to the train, which reels back, a little afraid of the small lizard lady.  
"Stay still you old hunk of metal," she hisses, then grabs Masheenka by the bottom of her metal plating to look under her. Despite being quite spooked the giant machine obeys the handling with respect.  
"And who the hell did all of this?" She doesn't even wait for an answer, shaking her head as she further investigates all the new mechanics. "That hack, they never were good with the magic trans-fusion. She can't even use half of these modules."  
Despite still appearing rather grumpy, it seems she is not as angry anymore, perhaps because she knows you didn't hurt Masheenka on purpose. She continues to inspect the machine, leaving you, Omega and Ultra unattended.  
Omega speaks up after a while, when he's at least a bit sure he might get an answer.  
"hey uh... are you mellow?" he asks sheepishly, rubbing his hands together. She doesn't even look at him as she answers.  
"No," she says simply, then after a moment adds, "Mellow left this place ages ago. My name's Cometa, his assistant."  
"then... did you or mellow make her?" Omega points to Masheenka. She growls, mumbling something under her breath with spite and anger.  
"I did. I am highly skilled in magic neuroscience and an expert Codeling and Glitch behaviourist. Mellow just knew how to sell it 'sall..."  
You can tell it's a touchy subject, so it probably isn't a good idea to prod at it and instead get as much information as you can while she seems talkative enough to answer your questions. 

"Violet admittēd they didn’t know too much aboůt her, but they were able to repair the đamage she had from being abandonęd in Rotushko." Feeling a bit more at ease he approached to soothingly pet Masheenka. "Theƴ freěd her from the traƈks and did their best tŏ help her." While Yarnus didn’t usually trust scientists, she and Violet certainly had been around long enough to be a bit more stable than the ones he had known. He quietly followed her as she stepped around the metal engine, trying to remember what the note from Violet had mentioned. "There should bė some sensors she miģht could use, but I’m not sűre if the voice... thingy is something she cån use." There’s the tiniest of snorts from the old scientist. It’s apparent that Yarnus is not a fellow scientist, but otherwise she does her best to ignore his presence.  
"Maybê…" He trailed off and lowered his voice to a whisper. "You said you are aŋ expert about Ğlitcħes, ŕight? Am I gőing to be ãlrighť? I mean, I thiňk one ‘infecŧed’ me, but I know nøthing aboųt all of thiş." 

Cometa turns to you, paying you the first ounce of attention since suspecting you of hurting the train. She looks at you closely, from the top of your skull down to your toes, then stares into your eyesockets for a moment. She squints her eyes, then suddenly grabs you by the head and dips the dull claws of her thumbs into them uncomfortably. Growling in thought she stares into your eye for a moment, then lets go of you with a grumble.  
"It's just a bit of an Overglitch nesting in your skull, you'll be fine," she says dismissively, "doesn't seem harmful or malicious, you'd be long dead if it were..."  
She turns away, her scarred tail swinging behind her, almost hitting you. She squats and skitters under the huge creature, Masheenka whistling deeply and exhaling steam nervously. After a moment Cometa emerges from under Masheenkas front grill, dusting off her coat without getting it any less dirty.  
"That speech module is useless to her, there's no way she can articulate or even remembers how to talk." She nods to Ultra with some sort of silent order, the winged beast nodding back and running off to the end of the hall. "Gotta give Violet one thing though, nice work with the plating. If it was done any less well she would be dead, and so would you," she turns to you briefly, then slowly walks to where Ultra ran off. "Get her over here, she'll be calmer if you come along..." 

It takes a little coaching, but Masheenka is willing to move further down the hall knowing that Yarnus is with her. Not wanting to be left behind Omega steps in behind his little buddy.  
"hey, isn’t this great. masheenka’s gunna get fix’d up by the best."  
Yarnus only nods and rubs at his irritated socket. "I'm a little wörried though. She's not exâctly the nicest scientišt," he says, trying to keep his voice down. "I don't like høw she treats Masheenka, but at least shê's not referring to her as sõme sort of object." They continue to the end of the hall where Ultra is messing with some sort of panel.  
"Comēta, you said Masheenka couldn't remëmber how to talk. Why is thåt? I thought that she was origînally only canimørph?" He thought back to when he was melded with her. The majority of the thoughts were uniquely hers, but there was that one stray feral thought that felt different. He was starting to worry about her origins.  


For just a fleeting moment, one only someone with your kind of vision could catch, Cometa stops, her eyes sad and distant. Then it's gone, and she continues on without paying you any mind, as if you never asked any question in the first place.  
You step onto a huge part of the room that somehow feels different under your feet, slowly getting Masheenka onto it too. Ultra presses a few buttons, then grabs a lever and once he throws it the floor begins to move. It gets you and Omega a little startled, Masheenka a whole lot more, but only a few gentle pets reassure her she's safe with you by her side.  
The floor begins to lower into another room, much bigger in size. It's cluttered with half taken apart machinery of all kinds and sizes, most of which you can't even begin to figure out what they could be, nor where they begin and end. Further back is a huge circular hole from which fiery light flickers into the room. The smell of burning metal is much stronger here, now mixed with a sulfuric smell, a little uncomfortable to breathe.  
As the floor descends you expect to stop at the floor of the huge room, but you continue lower, into yet another, even bigger room. This one is filled with the fiery light, an enormous furnace of flowing lava and metal the source of the red light hue filling the room. It's very hot here, the air heavy and hard to breathe. The machinery and tools here have a bit more order to them, individual projects distinguishable from one another.  
The floor finally stops and you're allowed to step off. Cometa doesn't give you any instruction as she grabs Masheenka by a front bumper, pulling her along to follow her further into the room. Masheenka stares around, seemingly mystified. Perhaps she remembers this as her birthplace?  
From doorways by the sides of the giant room suddenly comes a couple of Codelings, dressed in protective gear, some carrying tools. It kind of surprises you to see anybody else in here, looking each coming person up and down. Two tall horned fellas, two horshtockians and a huge cave dweller, coming last to meet up with their lizard boss.  
"Greetings Cometa," the tallest grassland native with huge cow horns bows slightly to the old lizard. "We are glad to tell you were are almost finished with Orebsorber, we just-"  
"Cease all projects, we have an emergency on our hands..." All six workers stare at her with confusion, one of the horshtockians stepping forth to protest.  
"But maam, eez only leetle work left!" Something seems off about this horshtockians, and it's not that he speaks your language. After a moment you realize his tail is a little longer and that he has small growths on his head, barely distinguishable as undeveloped horns. Looking at the other you notice the same features. Seems like they might be a cross between a grasslander and a horshtockian, possibly even siblings.  
Cometa exhales through her nose, not even answering as she waddles right past the group and to the furnace. The workers all sigh and throw their arms up, but don't dare to vocalize their frustration.  
"Get me fifty ingots of orichalcum, twenty ingots of tungsten and manganese aluminium, six ingots of copper, 10 boules of silicon and 2 boules of sapphire," Cometa lists off, working on some console by the searing furnace. "Get the clearest sapphire we have... and bring in two ingots of platinum, too."  
The group seems confused, but don't dare to question their boss. The cave dweller sighs, leaning over to grab two wheeled platforms with handles and drags them into one of the corridors, followed by the rest of the group. Both you and Omega just kinda stand there, unsure, until Cometa stops fidgeting with the console and turns to you, approaching you with that same grumpy look.  
"May I?" Ultra speaks up, and you just now notice how hard it is breathing. Cometa nods at him softly and the creature takes off and out the hole in the roof immediately, escaping the heat.  
"What, you two are just going to stand there?" Cometa hisses. Before you can answer she grabs a few tools and basically throws them at you, before whipping her hand towards the giant machine. "Start deconstructing. The broken plates first. If you want protective gear it's in the shelf over there." That's all the instruction she gives you, waddling back to the furnace. 

Cometa was pretty much speaking a whole ‘nother language there for a while. But the feeling he got was that she actually did care for Masheenka a bit more than she let on. That relaxed him a bit before the barrage of tools came flying at them. With his quick reflexes he caught all the projectiles thrown at him and Omega.  
"Impressive reflexes. Now get to work." The lizard sounded practically bored of his antics. Without a clue as to what to do he turned to Omega.  
"‘s prolly jus’ like build’n a hub. but ya know… in reverse." The large skeleton guided him over towards the slightly frightened frame of Masheenka. Yarnus stopped for a moment to give her a reassuring pat and pressed his head to hers, just as he had seen her previous conductor do. Her happy whistle was abruptly ended in a high pitch.  
"sorry! sorry girl. i guess yer still tender… cause dang…" Omega stepped back and looked her over. Yarnus hadn't really gotten a good look at the damage. The lighting here was better than in the cave and he could see the extent of the damage.  
"i can take care of the panels outside, but you're the only one light ‘nuff to to get inside. here…" Omega handed him a tool he didn't quite recognize. "find these spots ‘n hold it up like dis." He reached around and guided Yarnus hands to the corner of one of the outer panels. "now just squeeze the trigger here…" The large hands dwarfed his own on the device. For a moment his thoughts drifted... only to be shocked back into the here and now by the loud vibrating tool his hand was held against. "and that's it. simple as pie." A screw of some sort fell off and clinked on the floor before he was lifted up and placed in the cabin.  


You're a little scared of the loud vibrating tool, but seeing as Omega gets to work, even whistling to himself, you decide to power through your worries and try your best.  
After a few more screws you start to get the hang of it, carefully undoing one after another, careful not to hurt Masheenkas delicate insides. The screws go easy, but once you loosen a panel, something strange happens. You grab it by the edges, a little unsure of what will happen, knowing she can actually feel through her metal parts, however that even works. Carefully you begin to remove it and a thin membrane-like structure made of magic holds onto it for a moment before coming completely loose. It doesn't seem to hurt the train at least. She's pretty relaxed despite being literally taken apart.  
You get one of the sides of her cabin done, undoing every screw you have access to since you really don't know what else to do and how, then hear a voice from outside.  
"Heyyy, who are ya guys? It's not common for Cometa to allow new people in."  
You poke your head out of Masheenkas window to see the other grasslander, with horns curved back by the line of the skull, the ends lightly sticking forward by the sides of her neck. Her tail is tied to her back, probably for safety reasons.  
"hey there! name's omega," the big skeleton greets her, friendly as always. "n that's my buddy yarnus!" he points a thumb to you. The grasslander smiles with her dark eyes.  
"I'm Yeneeva, nice to meet'chya! Where'r ya from? Did ya get freed from a slaver by Overvolve?"  
"sure did! they were trynna sell me to a brothel..." Omega sighs. Yeneeva nods in seriousness.  
"Awful thing, I know... I can't even tell ya how glad I am to be 'ere, safe from all'dat."  
"say, are all the workers here former slaves? n like..." he lowers his voice "can ya leave?" Yeneeva laughs lightheartedly.  
"Sure we can! We don't got nowhere else to be tho, really. Here we get fed n have a warm spot to put our head on at night, and most importantly we're save from slavers and religious fanatics and all the other bullcrap out there."  
"oh boi i'm real glad to hear, heheheh! sry, just wannet do make sure ey?"  
"No prob!" Yeneeva waves a hand, smiling brightly. She seems like a very sweet and upbeat gal, you kinda like her already. "I almost ended up at Purpur's too. Then I almost got eaten by Ultra, hahaha! But instead it got me here and Cometa said I could be a good engineer one day and look at me now! I can take any power tool apart and back together in minutes!" she crosses both pairs of arms proudly. Omega grins widely and you have to smile, too. It's nice to hear a happy story every now and then.  
Yeneeva turns around and points to the other grasslander with cowhorns.  
"Bolfur there is a slavechild, poor thing got his mother sold away from him when he was just a lill calf. He grew up as a servant in a rich horshtockian family, then one day went feral when the family kid stepped on his tail. Almost ripped the brat to shreds! He was badly beaten and sold off to become fighting practice, basically a death sentence. When they were gettin’ him there he got snatched by Ultra and since then he's been here. He's very well mannered but very anxious, but Cometa's been treatin' him real nice."  
She waits a moment, until the two horstockians show up, carrying huge tubes in all four arms.  
"That's Dordow and Spiklun, our latest addition to the family. They might not look'it but they're barely mature! They got here a few years ago as just little kids, Ultra found them half frozen to death in the mountain range. Poor things got orphanaged, probably because they're bastard children, half horshtockian half grassland native. Ultra was basically their forster mom, it would take care of 'em like little chicks, lay on 'em to keep 'em warm, it was real cute! Heheheh! They wouldn't go a step without the other, always together, precious things."  
Omega dawws lightly, watching the two put down their cargo and hold one lower hand as they go for more. As if knowingly the cave dweller comes into view, dragging both carts stacked full of metal behind, huffing a bit with strain.  
"n hoo dat?" Omega asks. Yeneeva chuckles.  
"That's Hictor, our oldest worker. He's a big old grump but gets real jolly when you give him something to drink, heheh," she pokes Omega with an elbow, winking. "I actually don't know how he got here or where from, but I did see a slavemark on the back of his shoulder once. He doesn't really want to talk about it though, no matter how drunk he gets. He's not real good at engineering or other mechanical works, but he's strong and very hardworking and patient. He might look scary and uninviting, but don't worry, it's just how his face looks. He's actually real nice and helpful, if ya ask him nicely."  
Omega smiles, thanking her for all the info, when she looks up and sees you.  
"Oh, and where did ya come from? And do ya guys know anythin bout this big beastie?" She pats the side of the train, a little startled when the train responds with a deep whistle and a steam puff.  


He was quite relieved that the workers here were well treated and not even kept as slaves. It kinda reminded him of his old home. Masheenkas reaction to being touched by the assistant however was a bit concerning.  
"Wha… ?" Yeneevas tail nearly tore loose from its restraint. The grasslander was first shocked but quickly turned to fascination. "It's alive? Wow. I had’a look at tha schematics, but all da notes were weird symbols I ain’t seen befer."  
"This is Mäsheenka. I rescued her frōm the sląvers, but we were attàcked after gettîng the kids I freed to Tonrüka." The look of disbelief was apparent on her face but turned to confusion when she caught the proud look on Omega’s face.  
"Yer tell’n me a lil dude like ya… escaped slavers… without Overvolve?" She went silent for a moment before having a hearty laugh. "Oi, dinnah tonight’s gunna be great. I gotta see Hictor’s face when ya tell ya’s story!" A sharp whistle from the other grasslander got her attention, "Gah, I gotta go before Cometa’s on’ta me slack’n. We’ll ‘ave a break soon, but I cannah wait ta get details on ya’ll." She more gently lays a hand on Masheenka. "Nice ta meet ya sweethearts." With a quick turn she trotted off to help with things on the other side of the room.  
Yarnus looked down to Omega who was still smiling wide. "This plāce ïs ą lot nĩcer than I first thòught. I’m glad they’re willĩng to help." 


	46. Things Get Heated

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I kinda feel bad about my random updates. But I just chaptered off Chapter 50, so I decided to share a little fan/slash for our story.  
> Somnofeelya - http://archiveofourown.org/works/12134691  
> I figured ya'll could use some Tzacl and Grolom love'n since they won't be seen again for a while.

  


Omega nods back at you with a wide grin before you both get back to work, much more relaxed and optimistic.  
You get quite a lot of job done, though it feels a little weird to be taking her apart like this, literally. A part of her is now nothing but huge silvery beams of her inner structure, with her magic manifested around it. You notice a few bone growths here and there, imbedded in the flesh. She seems to be very calm, perhaps a little too much, as if she was falling asleep under the influence of some drug.  
A loud bell rings out in the workshop and you look out of her window, seeing Yeneeva running up to you in a light jog.  
"Come on y'all, it's mealtime! don't forget to turn off all yer tools," she winks at you.  
"we've actually eaten a lill while ago but i gotta say, all this work really makes a guy hungry," Omega chuckles, putting his tool down, then reaching his hands for you to jump into. You do and he lets you down on the ground gently, taking you tool from you to take care of it, then both of you follow Yeneeva down the doorway on the left.  
You go through another workshop room, this one with tables, apparently used for smaller, more precise mechanics, going further you go through a long hall with many rooms, then into a mess hall, a bit cramped for how big its inhabitants are. To the right is a doorway with a bead curtain instead of the door, sounds of cooking coming from the other side.  
The other workers are already sitting there, the siblings playing some game involving all four hands while Hictor, the big cavedweller, sits back in his huge upholstered chair with his fingers tangled together, eyes closed. Looking at him closer you notice some of his huge teeth are broken off or completely missing, a badly looking scar going across his face, over one eyesocket and his mouth all the way to his chin.  
Yeneeva unties her tail and stretches it with satisfaction, showing you where to sit at the bench. Dordow and Spiklun stare at you both curiously, sniffing at the air lightly, then whisper to one another something inaudibly.  
"Hope you guys like eggs," Yeneeva chuckles, "we eat a whole lotta of those here."  
"At least they're easy to cook," voice of the other grasslander, Bolfur, echoes from the kitchen. "Just a minute now, my frittata is almost finished!"  
"Hope ya put a lotta hratas in it!" Yeneeva responds, only meeting with silence for a moment. After a minute Bolfur emerges from the kitchen with the biggest pan you've ever seen, smiling, his posture absolutely perfect. You almost feel like at a restaurant with how proper he carries himself like a server.  
"Oh course I did my dear," he places the giant pan on a flat stone in the middle of the table, revealing to have carried a bunch of plates in his other hands. "I know they're your favourite." Yeneeva grins widely, getting up to start serving the food to everyone.  
The meal you get is a fluffy omelette with slices of what looks like brown tomatoes but tastes like something between an asparagus and a cucumber. Many other spices you can't even describe give the food a very good savoury taste, working very well with the rich taste of the eggs. You can't help but wonder if these people know where these eggs come from...  
The other workers start eating talking as they do about things you don't completely understand. Apparently the siblings dropped and broke something and both grasslanders are now considering how to tell their boss without getting her mad at the youngsters. Hictor doesn't say a single word, cutting his meal into very small pieces before eating it.  
"Sooo..." Yeneeva turns to you with an excited grin, "you wanna tell everyone how ya got here lill' guy?" The rest of the workers, including the old cavedweller, raise their heads and stare at you curiously. 

With the attention he got, he could assume that Yeneeva had mentioned something during the workday. He figured it would be best to stick to the parts that involved Masheenka. "Omëga and I found her abăndoned in ôld Rotushko. Vîolet fixed hėr up and gave her mobility. She rescüed me frøm a bloodhound type beast from Zwezyr, Omega häd âlrēady beèn cąptured by slavers. Tzacl, Mąsheénkå ând I got caũght by slavers. Tzacl was takën to Pürpur’s. I was mistaken for a chìld and söld to an ölder ‘tøckian. She had a whole collection ŏf kids that I freed whën I escaped. The slāvers had plannëd on using Masheenka for ä sacrificė, bút I convinced thêm øtherwisê." The whole time he was talking his hands were waving about in front of him, as if he was weaving some sort of invisible tapestry.  
"One moment please," Bolfur politely interrupts the telling of the story. "Just how did you ‘convince’ a Horshtockian, a slaver of all things, to hand over a sacrifice? I just don’t believe it." Finished with his meal he leaned back crossing both sets of arms.  
"Told’ja he’d ‘ave a good story fer us." Yeneeva turns and leans on one of her arms facing Yarnus, giving him a wink. "How’d ya get ‘way from the ol’ lady. Dat’s what I wanna know."  
The mood in the room changed a bit and it made Yarnus a bit nervous, "Well, yóū seè wė… we waited till she was āsleep änd I sëwed her into her own bed." A corner of his mouth quirked up. Now that he thought back, it did sound a bit outlandish.  
"Zat sounds likeah storybook tale." One of the siblings said, he didn’t know which was which yet. The other added, "We arn’t zat young to belief zat really worked."  
Light chuckles began to spread around the table and Yarnus felt his soul begin to ache.  
"hey, my buddy ain’t…"  
"THUNK"  
Omega is interrupted by the entirety of the tables contents flying up and crashing back down. The whole table turns their attention to Hictor who is leaning forward with his fist on the table.  
"eyre bereebs um," the cave dweller stares down the group that has now gone silent. "durnt gort nargh fleersh ta scaar, burt hersh gortz urm" he taps his face near his own scar to drive the point across. "dart kern o’marn durnt frib."  
Looking down the table Yarnus makes eye contact with Hictor. Seems like he’s seen enough in his life to recognize a similar spirit.  
  


A moment of silence prevails, until Hictor goes back to eating without uttering a single word. The rest of the table look back to you, the siblings once again whispering something that probably only they can understand.  
"I believe the lill' guy too," Yeneeva says, nodding her head sharply, "Hictor's right, he really doesn't look like a liar to me."  
Bolfur, neatly slicing his own meal, nods in agreement. "Agreed. I don't see much reason for him to lie anyhow. It doesn't matter how he escaped after all."  
"But wat aboot da sacreefice?" one of the siblings says.  
"Yea, how did you conveence a slaver to geeve up on dat?" The other adds. Bolfur raises his head, placing both utensils by the side of his plate neatly, folding all his hands in his lap.  
"That is true however. The horshtockians are very strongly believing in their sacrifices keeping their world balance in order. I doubt you could buy a sacrifice as big as the train with all the money in the world, let alone 'convince' them to let her go."  
"I bet he used some kinda trick on em!" Yeneeva says excitedly, her tail swinging wildly behind her. "Look at him! He's so small Ultra would chomp him down with a single bite - he gotta be real smart to get around like this!"  
Hictor, with half his meal still on his place since he eats so slowly, raises his head once again. He seems very curious, but completely trusting that whatever you say will be true.  
Omega turns to you too, grinning widely. Even he's curious how you pulled of that kinda trick.  


  
"Thé kids and I câme across Măsheenka as we were escaping thròugh town. There were only six guards I think. The lêadér was ålert, but the rest wère slacking ōff. The kĭds madê a distractíòn and I jumpëd thē lĕader. It wasn't so much convincing with words becaŭse of the language barrier, but a knife tō the throät göt my pōint acróss. Heh." He chuckled a bit at the accidental joke. "Luckĭly one ôf the guárds there I had...ům… I’m nøt süre whát to cáll it, büt I cŏnnected with him." Yarnus was a little perplexed at not finding the right word and looked to Omega. "Like when I scänned Masheenkâ whën we mėt, but ĩn reverse."  
"oh yeah. that scan’n thing with yer eyes."  
"A reverse scan… with your eyes? How? Oh yeah, yer one of them Reminds arn’t cha?" Yeneeva leans in close to his face, practically touching to the point that had Yarnus wondering if she even understands personal space.  
"Oh wow! I’d thought ya had solid eyes like Ultra, but ya don't. They're little rays of magic… an’ sparkly a bit." Finally she leaned back with a huge smile on her face. "Man I'd love ta see what sorta magic’n you can do."  
"I'm more interested in this ‘scan’ you speak of. What sort of connection did you make with that slaver?" Bolfur searched his pockets and brought out a notepad.  
"Whére I cŏme from I'm å judge. Actûally I'm the Great Jústĩciar because of my type of mągic. I can see people's memoriès and feel theīr intëntions. It works best on humans and other magical bėings likè us." He gestures to Omega and himself. "But I was àble tō feel what life was like for Mashēenka and with Wlåd I was àble to shów him scenês õf my lìfë. After that I sorta knew some namës ānd picked up on a few horshtòckian words. He ąlsŏ saved me from being branded. I'm not sure what thĕ implìcations õf that was."  
Everyone contemplated in silence for a while before Yeneeva spoke up. "Hey, Yarnus? Could ya… um, would you…" She wasn't making eye contact and the tip of her tail twitched in a way that Yarnus found cute. "Will you do me?"  
He blushed a bit as the words sunk in, but it was the riotous laughter from the siblings that made it flush yellow. Before he could think of anything to say Omegas arm was around him and playfully rubbing his skull. "dang buddy. no rest fer ya."  
"Dat’s not what I meant!" All four hands covered Yeneevas face. "For science! I ment scan me fer science. I want’d ta know what’is like, dat’s all."  
"Yeneeva. Perhaps you should consider your words before speaking. Besides, we don't fully know what the side effects are. He seems to be able to control those he scans. Slavers willing to surrender a sacrifice, the powerful creature in our work room…" Bolfur paused. Yarnus could feel the bit of fear coming from him. It was one of the most familiar feelings he got from others.  
"It's nothing to bë åfraid of. Connecting wĭth sömėòne is draining. I don't do it únless there is a nĕed. The side effect is ā tempörăry bond thât affects me just thè same äs them." The siblings were still chittering between themselves while the others looked to him for answers. Yarnus closes his eyes and opens them showing his irises smaller and brighter. "Thïs ĭs when my magic is actĭvê. Withôût my êyës actïve īntĕntions are just what they call ‘a gut feĕling’. When I concentrate my magic I can sëe íntentiòns clearėr." Yarnus motions to the grasslanders first. "You both are cúrious and wâry. They…" the siblings stop their chatter and look up. "... werè plåyful until they felt my măgįc. Now curiõüs." Yarnus then turns to the head of the table. "Hĩctor is… protective." The feeling that Hictor would have no qualms about tearing anyone limb from limb who harmed any of them sent a chill up his spine. Thankfully Omega was sitting between them. This was the first time he'd used his sight on his friend.  
Since Omega was more magic than the others he was easy to read. Honestly it was a little overwhelming. Love, support, protection, trust, fear, and a dozen other emotions ran over him, leaving him speechless. All he could do at that moment was hug his friend and whisper, "Me tòo." 

Omega says nothing, just smiles warmly and holds you closer, cupping your head in his huge palm to pet you. Yeneeva smiles softly, looking over to Bolfur who does the same.  
Hictor stands up from the table, tapping his mouth with a small piece of cloth. About a fourth of his meal is still on the plate but he seems finished with eating, slowly leaving the room without a single word. Bolfur gets up and begins to clean up, swiftly grabbing all the plates with one pair of arms while tidying up the tablecloth and chairs with the other. Yeneeva gets up and stretches again before tying her tail back to its restraint, then looks to you with a smile.  
"Let's get workin' again, we gotta lotta stuff to do! We're gonna be doin some metal castin and forgin tonight." Omega suddenly gasps with an idea hitting his mind. He springs up and approaches her, startling her a bit, then whispers something to her excitedly. She grins widely at whatever he told her and only nods, then takes off after the siblings. When you ask what that was about Omega just smiles widely and boops your nosebone, winking at you. You decide to wait and see, trusting your big friend.  
You join the worker group along with Omega, trying your best to be useful, which is easier said than done. Although smithing is not too unknown to you, all the doohickeys and enormous strange machines make it pretty much impossible to be any help. At first you try and see if you can at least hold somebody's gear while they work or something, but you find yourself as more of an inconvenience than actual help, although none of the workers say so out loud.  
Omega is a bit more helpful by carrying heavy materials, but only for a few hours. After a while you start to notice he's getting sick and dizzy. Finally he seems to be at the end of his rope and you approach him as he sits down by the air vent, asking him what's wrong.  
"ah... it's the heat man," he breathes heavily, flapping the white coat around his neck to cool off. "i'm more of a winter type-a-guy ya feel. it's like an oven in here." Hictor, who overhears your converstation when walking past with more load, stops and approaches you both.  
"yer doirn no goord by beirn 'ere," he grumbles, factual rather than mean. "yeneerva! tarke derm awayr sormewrhere chirllier."  
Yeneeva, standing atop one of the furnaces and working on casting some metal beams, nods and jumps off, leading both of you kindly away.  
You go back through the workshop and the mess hall, then up some stairs and through a hall until you arrive into a bigger room. This seems to be a shared bedroom for all the workers each bed having its own secluded corner divided with wooden walls. Each small "room" has a shelf with the owner's belongings and personal decorations. It seems very homely despite the lack of privacy. These folks really are like a family.  
"i'm real sorry..." Omega apologises, but Yeneeva shakes her head sharply.  
"Nonono, no apologizin' ain't your fault big guy. You shouldda seen me when I first arrived here, the heat takes time to get used to. I hope it's better here, I don't think I can even tell nomo', hahah! Come on, we got a free cot right here you guys can use." Omega smiles, sitting down on the bed in the back of the room as she leads him.  
"yeah, it's a lot better."  
"Good! Then get some rest, both of you, you did some great helpin' today. We'll be here in a while too, after Cometa lets us, so make yerself comfortable you two." She pats both of you on the head lightly, just a friendly gesture, but the light pet suddenly recalls a memory of your older sister, striking your soul painfully. You feel so homesick, wondering if your universe is safe, but neither Yeneeva or Omega seem to have noticed.  
The grasslander waves you goodbye and leaves in a light jog while Omega slumps down on the mattress with a long exhale, his eyes closed. After a while of silence he reaches over to you with one hand and gently grabs one of yours, rubbing the back of your hand with his thumb softly. He doesn't say anything, just holding you dearly, smiling with his eyes closed. It seems he's all ready to nap, but you aren't sleepy at all. You look around at the small rooms, finding cute little crafts, souvenirs, even a few drawn pictures.  
Yeneevas bed is a little messy with lots of small mechanics and blueprints on the shelf and walls. A small framed picture of a riverbank stands out with it's much more natural depiction. You get the feeling it has a high value to her since it's right in the middle of the right wall, probably so she can look at it when in bed.  
Bolfurs corner is very neat and tidy with barely any decor at all. Only two bigger framed pictures are hanging beside one another on one wall, in the same fashion as Yeneeva's. They seem to be charcoal drawings of two grasslanders with similarly shaped horns as him. Perhaps his parents?  
The siblings don't have a wall between their beds, unsurprisingly. Both beds are messy and a little dirty, the walls absolutely covered with all kinds of stuff. Pressed leaves, pieces of cloth, animal teeth on a string and other souvenirs from outside. The child drawings of Ultra bring a smile to your face, the enormous beast portrayed as a big kind parent to the two abandoned children.  
Hictors bed is huge but bare, as if he didn't sleep with any covers or pillows. There is no decor, only a metal cup sitting next to the bed and a misted glass jar with a piece of moss inside on the top of the shelf.  
When you're done looking around you notice Omega had stopped petting you, lying still with his eyes closed. You aren't sure if he's already asleep or not.  
There's two more doors leading out of the room, excluding the door you came in through. You could go exploring a bit, or just lay down and try to get some rest despite not being very sleepy. 


	47. Caught With His Pants Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Double Chapter Update All The Way Across The Sky

  
  


The time spent surrounded by Masheenkas magic hasn’t worn off. Yarnus doubts he could sleep even if he wanted to. Carefully he frees his hand and watches Omegas expression. There’s a slight droop of his smile. Despite the heat and leaving Omega’s side again, he really wants to go back to check on Masheenka. With a gentle press of his teeth against the sleeping skeleton he decides to briefly explore the two adjoining rooms for the time being. 

You carefully open the left door made of wood and brass, careful not to make any noise as you do, though you know Omega is far from a light sleeper.  
Behind the door you find what appears to be a closet. Work clothes and casual clothes alike, including shoes, are all around, hanging on coat hangers or neatly folded into shelves. You briefly consider changing from the white coat which doesn't suit you at all, but you feel a bit unsure of what you can pick. Besides nothing here seems like it would fit you well... You decide to maybe ask Yeneeva about it later.  
You check out the other door, which appears much more sturdy and well isolating. Behind it you find a stairway, illuminated by small white electric lights connected together with a black cord. At first you aren't sure if you should go up, but eventually you decide to at least see where it leads.  
The stairs are longer than you thought, a little tiring to scale. When you finally come to the top, there's another door, similar to the first, but with a grate vent on the bottom. You open them and find yourself in a much bigger room than you imagined.  
It's an enormous circular room with no ceiling, almost like a chimney of sort, with walls made of the same dark blue rock you saw earlier when cooking with Ultra. Up above you can see the white sky through a circular hole, yet no snow comes down through. Once you make a few steps inside you see why - a strong grate is covering a huge hole in the floor from which hot air is coming up, presumably from the forges down below.  
Looking around you notice a few holes in the walls, some covered with the same curtains of ivy. Most are up in the air, only accessible by flight you imagine, but a few are down by the floor. After a brief consideration of your options you decide to enter the closest one, just to see what's inside, since you feel safe enough to wander around here.  
Pushing the curtain of ivy vines aside you look inside, realizing it's the same room you've made soup in a few hours ago. You come in and look into the cauldron, still hanging above the now snuffed out fireplace. It's empty now.  
Slight movement suddenly catches the corner of your eye and you spring to full alert since most of the surprises in the Void were far from pleasant. You only calm down after you see the unfocused yellow eyes of the huge furry beast, looking at you calmly from the dim lit side room. It lays there with its four arms folded under it, not unlike a cat, its fur and feathers puffed up, its legs and tail hanging slightly from the messy bed.  
You smile, chuckling lightly, about to greet the creature but it silents you with a simple gesture of a claw over its maw. You stay silent, staring at it questioningly. Ultra smiles lightly back at you, then carefully lifts its frame and wing to show you what it's hiding under.  
A small, fawn-like creature with pale thick fur and broad sharp hooves is curled up and sleeping peacefully in the warmth under the fur and feathers. Ultra gently licks its head between the yet undeveloped horns, the fawn curling up further and letting out a small cute meep. Ultra carefully lays back over it and shifts about a little, just like a brooding hen, making sure the baby animal is covered and safe.  
"Don't tell Cometa," it whispers, "she doesn't like me adopting every orphan I come across." You only nod, gesticulating with a finger over your teeth that you won't tell. Ultra nods at you, then points its head aside and you see your and Omega's clothes, somewhat folded together on one of the stumps. "I have noticed your loincloth is quite out of shape. What a shame, it seems to have once been very pretty... Tell you what," Ultra nods its head towards the exit. "If you go downstairs to the workers bedroom you will find a closet. In the lower-most shelf there you will find sewing supplies, fabrics and furs from horshtockian trading caravans I have hunted down. You may use them however you wish."  
You smile widely, the idea of once again being able to do your native craft bringing joy to your soul. You gather up your and Omega's clothes and bow lightly to the brooding beast, but before you can leave it stops you once more.  
"Train child." You turn around in the exit, giving the beast your attention. It blinks with its third eyelids calmly, then speaks up in a silent, serious voice. "Come see me later, if you wish." With that it lays back down, closing its eyes to rest. You aren't sure what to make of that, but decide to leave the beast to take care of its adopted child in silence, leaving the dim lit room quietly. 

The combination of carrying a load of laundry and the stairs built for somewhat longer legs makes the return trip a bit more treacherous than before. Slowly Yarnus makes his way back to the shared room. Omega is snoring away still while he sorts out the clothes. Omega’s parka has a few tears here and there that need mending, though the most surprising thing is finding his sword wrapped up in it. Good thing he hadn’t fell in the stairwell, that may have had a nasty outcome.  
Yarnus then unfolded the familiar yellow and black fabric. Ultra was right. As a loin cloth it was a mess, but as a kilt it was a disaster. The stitching holding the pleats was completely torn out. It looked like a simple bolt of fabric frayed on all ends. The water from the thermal baths had shrunk it a bit as well. Holding it up to himself the fabric only barely wrapped around his pelvis anymore. Yarnus couldn’t bear discarding a fabric he had weaved himself. His only hope lay in what he could find in their fabric stash.  
The supplies weren't hard to find since he knew where to look. It was mostly canvas and other stiff fabrics. Hardy materials meant for patching work clothes. One thing that caught his eye was sizable chunk of buttery yellow hide. Perhaps it was once a horstockian vest, now with one side torn to to shreds. Turned to it’s side it was a proper length for a kilt apron, if not a little longer. Gathering some unbleached canvas, the hide and other needed supplies he returned to the main room and spread them on the floor.  
Yarnus made quick work of the materials. The leather forming a heavy panel in front and continuing around his pelvis in laced panels to remove the need for a belt. The canvas could really use a hot iron to press the pleats better, but that could be done in the morning with the worker’s help. His old kilt fabric was stitched inside. A little bit of home to keep against his bones and to keep the rougher canvas from rubbing on him.  
He dropped his drawers and pulled on his creation. The backside floofed out a bit and it was longer than he was used to, but with the conditions outside that was probably for the best. The oversized labcoat still fell below the hem. Standing there a moment with his back to the door and his pants on the floor he pondered how to modify the jacket.  
"Eeep!"  
Yarnus turned his head to see Yeneeva standing in the doorway with a shocked look on her face. The siblings close behind her go wide eyed before snickering to themselves. "Oh, is thè wórk day done?" He turns around not realizing their view implied that he was indecent. Yaneeva covers her eyes and squeals. "Put yer pants back on jeeze!". The siblings then burst into laughter, nearly doubling over between the sight of Yarnus in a skirt and Yaneeva’s reaction.  
"I’m not fōnd of pants. They’re too constrictĩng ŏn my lĕgs." His hands land on his hips defensively. "Besidés I made this oné longer thān I normally weår." The siblings are wheezing as the comment sinks in and the grasslander peeks through her fingers to discover that in fact the little skeleton was wearing something other than just a labcoat.  
"Oh my…" her hands went to her chest and she let out a sigh of relief. "Fer a moment I’d thought ya was runn’un about nekid in nuthin but a coat." She finally entered the room and bent down to inspect his handiwork. "Dat’s actually… kinda neat. I wond’a if Cometa would let me wear sumting like dat." 

You feel proud of your work being appreciated, until the snickering siblings come in, asking the same dumb questions you heard a million times before.  
"Why arre you veering skirt?" the first one laughs.  
"Ya, leetle skeleeton looks like a geerl!" the other one follows. Yeneeva stands up tall and folds all four arms with a frown.  
"Now that ain't nice of you two!" she scolds them, but the first one just shrugs in defence.  
"Well why leetle skeleeton wears skirt eef he eez boy skeleeton?"  
"Thart airn't no skirtr," a grumbling voice comes from the entrance as Hictor makes his way in, "thart's a kirlt alrihgrt." Without further explanation he goes to his bed, taking the metal cup and carefully sprinkling a bit on the moss, then drinking down the rest. Bolfur comes in after, hunched over with all four hands on his back.  
"Ooh, I am getting too old for such hard work..." His empty eyes land on your new article of clothing with surprise and interest. "Oh my, what a pretty skirt you have!"  
"Kirlt," Hictor raises his voice without even looking to Bolfur.  
"Oh... well, whatever it is properly called, it is quite well made my friend. Although, I was of the impression you were of the male gender..."  
Yeneeva nudges him with an elbow, frowning. "Dude, don't be crude! If he wanna dress like a lass that's his business."  
"Zat's weerd!" one of the siblings protest, "eef he wears skirt zen he-"  
"Kirlt, darmit."  
"Then what? He can wear whatever the heck he wants I tell'ya!" Yeneeva says, getting to her own bed and taking her protective gear off.  
"Yes, I agree," Bolfur nods as he gets to undressing himself. "Why, I used to wear dresses in the palace too, when my former owners needed me so. It was not very comfortable but I did feel quite frilly and light."  
With a loud yawn Omega turns around on the cot, scratching his belly, his eyes still closed.  
"it dunn matter what clothes we wear, we dunn got no gender anyway," he mumbles, smacking his teeth. This surprises the workers, all of them stop undressing to hear what more Omega has to say. "when yer a skeleton ya just kinda stick with what fits ya best n nobody cares. ya wanna be a girl? sure. ya wanna be a dude but ya also wanna have tiddies? get yerself a pair amigo. ya dunn feel like either? go ahead, who needs labels anyway right." By now he opens his eyes a bit, still looking sleepy and ready to nap some more.  
"Ooh, like Ultra!" one of the siblings grins excitedly.  
"Ultra eez a mommy and a daddy!" the other adds with the same excitement. Omega shrugs and nods lightly.  
"yeah, kinda like that," he mumbles, then yawns again, closing his eyes.  
"How peculiar! I knew Reminds and Origons had many strange properties but I was not aware of this one," Bolfur quickly takes out his little notebook to write it down. Yeneeva grins at you excitedly.  
"That's awesome! So you can like give whatever shape to your-" She stops, realizing what she almost said out loud. Her cheeks go red white the twins once again burst out into a fit of snickering and laughing. Bolfur shakes his head with amusement, even Hictor chuckles a bit.  
"Yeneeva, you really have to learn to think before you speak," Bolfur says. Yeneeva doesn’t answer, covering her flushed face and hiding in her corner. 

His skull was already glowing yellow before Yaneevas comment. It was another inevitable question, but he would have guessed that it would have come from someone else. "I’m glád that ät least Hìctor knows what a kilt is. Whĕre I come from kilts are worn by men and women. It’s a stâtus symbōl. Thê King’s Grånd Kilt is as long as tén of me."  
Yeneeva recovered from her embarrassment and plopped herself on the bed facing the center of the room. "Your King musta been real tall den. Was everyone bigger than you back home. Ya must feel like a giant if dat was?"  
"No, wēll he was tall. About Omega’s héight. Bůt a grand kìlt is rêâlly long and gets bunched up and twīsted and pinned to cover your êntire body more or lêss. I was fostéred by weavërs, so I knöw how much fábric each of thė Jarls néêded." Seeing that the lights would probably be extinguished soon he started to pick up the remnants. One sliver of his tartan had been trimmed since it had a deep tear. He looked at it longingly before walking over to hand it to Yaneeva. "This ìs piece of the rõyal tartan. I’m one of thë few allowed to even weavë this pattern. Only Jàrls, that’s our word for royalty, get to wear įt."  
She looked over the little bit of fabric while the siblings spoke up. "Yous was frostered leeke us?" "Did zeugh geet ahdobpted by da King?" Yarnus couldn’t help but to smile a bit.  
"No he dìdn’t ådopt me, not officially. I was alreädy matũrĕ when we met."  
"But… ya said only royals wear this fabric? How come you got it?" Yaneeva was curious but the tiredness from the days work was even slowing her down.  
"The King took me in and trąined më for my pösition įn his coůrt. It’s a bit unheard øf, bŭt changed my status from Thrall to Jarl ánd named mė as hîs Regent."  
"Wazzah reegent?" One of the siblings yawned out. "Whazzah zral?" They both were already tucked up in bed.  
"A Regent is someone that rules in place of a leader when there is no clear heir to the throne." Bolfur nearly recites his knowledge as if he’s reading from a book.  
"Thrrals jurst noder wurd fer slurve. Ner git sum slerp." Hictor’s voice was the last sound before the lights dimmed. Yarnus finished putting away the supplies and hung the labcoat on a nearby hook before crawling up on Omega’s belly. It felt like it had been forever since he had slept this way. Thinking back, the last time they had been together was at the cottage. The three of them, four if you counted Grolom. Moisture dripped from his sockets as he imagined what horrible conditions Tzacl was facing. He pressed his face against Omegas chest in the hopes that it would stop the nagging guilt he felt. "it’s all gunna work out. somehow. jus wait ‘n see." Omega’s hand came to rest on his back, but he could feel the other move, possibly to wipe his own tears.  
Yarnus wasn’t sure if he could sleep, but he was willing to give it a try. If not, he pretty much had an invitation to visit with Ultra.  



	48. A Hunting We Will Go

You're laying on undoubtedly the softest belly in the entire Void, but you don't feel comfortable at all. Everybody around you is already sound asleep, tired after a long day of work, but not you. You feel wide awake, restless, staring into the darkness and listening to everyone's snores.  
You try laying differently, closing your eyes, breathing deeply, but nothing helps. You're still full of energy, energy that you presume isn't originally yours. Being so full of her magic you feel like you could easily run around the entire Isle of Monsters twice right now.  
You carefully slip off of Omega, who just grumbles something out of his sleep, then rolls over and goes back to snoring. Your bare feet feel the smooth floor, warm from the furnaces below. You could go and try to find Masheenka, see how she's doing. You aren't so sure where she is right now, but you saw enough of the workshop to know where to look. But looking to the big metal door you think back to Ultra and its ominous invitation... Where should you go? 

This was the first night in a while that he hadn’t slept with Masheenka in one form or another. Perhaps there was a bond forming between them that kept him from sleep. He pulled out a spare blanket from the closet that seemed too small for the siblings anymore. He could probably make it back to where he had last seen her without any problems. Just as he was about to step out into the hallway he remembered Ultra’s words. Something seemed odd about the way they worded the invitation. There was no telling what tomorrow may bring so having a bit more information would be wise. Perhaps he could even catch a glimpse of Masheenka from the grate upstairs. Tossing the blanket across his bare shoulders like a cloak Yarnus turned back and headed up to Ultra’s aviary. 

Scaling up the stairs once again you soon stand in the huge circular room. Up above the sky is as black as the Void, the whole sight seeming almost unreal were it not for the blue rock walls surrounding you. Your blanket cape lifts up in the hot air when you go over the grate, tugging at your neck lightly.  
Down under you you can barely see the forge and the workshop. Focusing your eyes a bit you unfortunately can't see Masheenka, but you do notice the old lizard lady. Cometa waddles around the forge, seemingly aimlessly. Perhaps she is thinking deeply about something.  
A flap of wings catches your attention, your head lifting up. The huge winged creature lands before you, its enormous wingspan making you feel even more tiny compared to the beast. You can hear all six clawed limbs gently landing on the ground as Ultra folds its wings and looks to you, thick tail gently falling down on the ground with a light thump.  
"Greetings," it caws, "I haven't expected you to come to me so soon. It suits me well however. The night is more of my element, I feel safer in the embrace of darkness..."  
You don't really know what to say at first, looking over Ultras bizarre body as it moves in flawless harmony. Ultra blinks twice, sniffing at the air, then suddenly stands up on its back legs, tail raised up and wings brought back for balance.  
"Would you feel more comfortable if I were to mimic your stance?" it asks. You just shake your head in disagreement, it really seems very off putting. Ultra smiles, coming back down on all six, approaching you. You feel its breath as it sniffs at you, nudging its maw into you, then pulling back.  
"You smell of many interesting things. Of ashes and blood... I saw your sword, too, along with your tattered clothing." It walks around you like a cat about to pounce its prey. "Despite your small posture... you are quite the fighter, aren't you?"  
It stops, leaning back in, its unfocused eyes staring into the general space you occupy. It speaks again, quietly, as if afraid somebody will hear it. Its breath is hot and smells of meat and iron.  
"Would you like to hunt with me tonight?" 

"Dëspĭte oŭr bōdies not reqúĭrįng much fòod, Omega ànd I do eât quįte ă lot I supposë." Yarnus contemplated the idea in his head. "It would only bé propèr to repay the kíndness shown to us. I’m sure the others wouldn’t mind somė fresh mêàt in their méal tómörrow." Giving a slight smile and nod, he agreed. "Let me go fétch my sword and leąve a note. I don’t want Omega to worry abòut whërĕ I’vè gone."  
Quickly he made his way back down to the sleeping quarters. While retrieving his sword from under the cot he noticed a few other things Ultra had washed. Tzacl’s scarf and Snork’s striped sweater. Somehow both had survived the literal train-wreck that had been the last few days. The night air was sure to be too cold to be out and about in just a kilt. He pulled on the sweater and wrapped the scarf loosely around his neck a few times before tucking the ends inside. All that was left was to leave a note.  
Bolfur had been seen with a notepad earlier, so he crept into his cubby in search of it. The grasslander was quietly snoring away while Yarnus picked up a writing tool and the pad. Carefully he chose a blank page and quickly tore it out hoping not to disturb any of the sleepers. The room remained quiet so he set himself down to write.  
_I wasn’t able to sleep and Ultra offered to take me hunting. If I’m not here in the morning I may be either in the kitchen or with Masheenka._  
With love: Yarnus  
He dimmed his eyes before looking up to exit the room, only to be met with a glazed stare from Bolfur. " I learned to sleep lightly in the palace." His voice was barely audible and concerned. "For what need did you have with my notes?"  
Yarnus quietly explained that he couldn’t sleep and needed to leave a note while he went out with Ultra. That seemed like an acceptable response since Bolfur was lightly snoring again before he could finish. Yarnus took his note and tucked it into the hem of Omega’s pants. It was the most likely place for it to be found in the morning. If not, then Bolfur might remember the conversation they had. Now he felt confident that he wouldn’t be presumed missing should anyone wake up.  
The sweater and scarf were already getting a little too warm for this room so he quickly made his way back up to Ultra with his sword in hand. Perhaps they had a bit of rope he could secure it with before… before… flying off. The realization hit him as soon as he made his way to the upper landing. Yarnus didn’t have a fear of heights, but he had a feeling he was going to learn today if he had a fear of flying. 

Ultra stands there, at the same spot when you left, rubbing the long flight feathers of its wings with its lower pair of arms. Once you come into the circular room it raises its head to give you its unfocused stare.  
"Are you ready little warrior?" it asks. You nod, although a bit nervous about the whole flying thing.  
Ultra seems very happy that you will go with it. It grins as it approaches you, getting up on its hind legs like before. When it walks on just two it looks very comical, like a human wearing some sort of weird costume. It stops before you, opening all four arms invitingly.  
"Come to me, I shall hold you securely in my arms. It is quite cold up there." You slowly come closer, unsure how to go about with this. Ultra chuckles, reaching out for you and turning you around, your back to its belly. It lifts you up with the upper pair of arms, then holds you closer with the other. Pressed to its fluffy underside with its thick parka covered arms is quite comfortable and feels pretty safe, this shouldn't be too-  
The takeoff is sudden and knocks your breath out of your ribcage. Ultras enormous body springs into the air with such force, using the hot air and its enormous wingspan to ascend at a speed greater than you expected. The black void of the sky above approaches until you fly out of the chimney like a volcanic eruption.  
You are frozen with fear for a while, only the tight hold around you giving you hope that you'll even survive this. With a mighty flap Ultra stops in the air just above the edge of the circular hole, then suddenly begins to drop back down to the snow covered ground. This time you find your breath to scream, feeling Ultra hold you closer, its chest shaking with laughter. Its wings spread wide and your fall slowly changes direction from straight down to more and more forward, by the curve of the mountain side. You stare down, trees and snow, mountains and ravines, all off it seems so small from here. Ultras flight stabilizes, gliding above the white grounds with ease. Its front pair of arms slowly reaches down to you to hold onto you as well, the grip of the back one slowly easing up. You beg it not to let go at first, still a little terrified, but you eventually calm down, knowing that Ultra probably knows what it's doing.  
For a few silent minutes you just glide softly through the cold air high above, staring down. The mountain you flew from, the one your friends are sleeping in, has many defenses all around it, including the only entrance leading into a maze like set of ravines. A huge telescope sits atop a small rotund built into the side of the mountain. The light from the forge is visible, shining up into the sky from the chimney opening you just exited.  
Far and wide around there are only mountains and plains of snow, forest of those enormous trees and a rocky hillside hugged by a river bend. The river flows from somewhere beyond the mountains, down the plains and beyond the white haze of snow far far away.  
You take your time looking around, awestruck, but still a bit shaky. When you stay silent for a few minutes, Ultra speaks up, sounding a little worried.  
"Are you okay down there? We may go back if you wish so." 

"I’m… I’m ālright. It’s just… I dįdn’t reąlize jùst how big this plăce is." Yarnus looked around to see if he could spot anything that he might recognize. The biting wind was doing a good job of making him shiver much more than any sense of fear. Being pressed against Ultras warm body did help although he wished all its arms were holding him at the moment. Not just for safety, but for warmth.  
"You are shaking still. Should I land?" Ultras wings slowed and began their descent towards a snowy plain.  
"I’m just a bit cõld is all. Omega’s the ønë uséd to thís kînd of weathër. Nôt me." The decent halted and they glided across the landscape for a little while longer before Yarnus decided to ask a question. "How löng woůld it tąkė for yoû tó fly tõ Tônrükå? I know măny grasslanders were hêaded therè after Won took ovér Zwëzyr. If there was any placé to find ån army…" Speaking in the cold air sent a shiver down his spine before he could finish. "I’m sure măny of them havè lost kin to the ‘Tŏckiăns ănd wõuld löve a chance to see thëm returned." 

Ultra stays silent for a while, getting lower and lower towards a thick forest of the enormous trees, growing beyond the river and white plains. Finally it speaks, quieter than usually.  
"I am not welcome in Tonrüka. Or any other populated place in all of Grasslands or Glasswöll. They don't know me the same way you do, train child. For them I am a dangerous wild animal, some even believe me to be a demon, a night terror come to life. I don't try to prove them wrong, for my fearful image has its perks. It's better for them to fear even a mention of me, to shake in their boots at the thought that I am out there, a nightmare of talons, feathers and fangs. And it's better for them to think they were saved by a stroke of good fortune rather than for every slave to beg and cry my name when their fates are about to be doomed..."  
Its wings begin to beat harder as it reaches the trees, landing onto a huge branch and holding on with its talons. It lets go of you with its front pair of arms to keep its balance, then continues through the forest, jumping from three to tree, sometimes helping itself with a mighty flap of its wings. After a while it reaches what looks like a pathway through the forest, climbing higher and hiding its enormous frame in the pine needles.  
"I can smell prey approaching..." it whispers, sniffing at the air, "Horshtockians and what smells like a cave dweller. Perhaps their slave, perhaps their soldier..."  
You realize maybe you and Ultra have a different idea of the game you're hunting for. Before you can say a single word voices echo from the path ahead, and with them the sound of footsteps crunching in the snow. Soon, a big but young cavedweller appears, tied to a wooden ornate sleigh by her shoulders and neck like a draft animal. Her teeth and held tightly as she huffs in strain to keep the sleigh moving. Inside the pretty sleigh two richly clothed horshtockians are drinking and chattering excitedly in their language. A single but dangerous looking horshtockian guard with a quality looking iron spear and armour is leisurely walking along with the sleigh, sometimes whistling.  
"Seems like a little nighttime cruise," Ultra utters, its fur puffing up slightly. "I'll let you pick who we kill first." 

While making their way through the forest. Yarnus pondered Ultras outlook. It wasn’t what he would do in its situation, but still he could understand it. The little Justiciar didn’t have the terrifying visage of Ultra, or even a slightly intimidating countenance to be respected in the way he had been in his former world. In a way he missed that sort power, but also hated the fear that accompanied it.  
As soon as the sleigh came into view his breath stopped. This wasn’t what he had in mind when he agreed to go ‘hunting’, but the sight of a slave being used like livestock quickly changed his mind. His magic shifted in preparation for a fight. The combination of the wool sweater, Ultra’s fur, and his own energy made for tiny shocks of static all along his frame. "Thé spëar is clearly meānt for largĕr foes. Distract him and I can slit his throat before he êven knøws I’m thêre."  
Normally he would have hesitated to kill anyone, especially in an ambush, but something about these horshtockians reminded him of the dangerous humans he had killed in his homeland. There was a time and place for kind justice, but here and now… a brutal justice would have to do.  
"Agreed." Ultra shifts its hold to one side, then towards its back. "Hold on tight." Yarnus obeys and barely has time to find a grip before they begin their plummet to the ground. Landing just behind the sleigh and the guard causes all unhindered heads to turn. Ultra raises up to its impressive full height, spreading its wings wide and sending a strong gust of air and kicked up snow in their direction. Frantic ‘tockian words are shouted all around. The most popular word seems to be ‘demon’ as the guard makes his charge.  
Yarnus takes this as a distraction, dashing under the sleigh unseen. From a closer perspective the guards armour seems a bit more sturdy than what the slavers wore. He would have to watch a bit before he could decide on his next move. 

The guard charges at the beast with a battlecry while the rich duo in the sleigh yell what seems to be confusing terrified orders. The cavedweller is completely frozen in fear, just staring, her knees shaking.  
Ultra gets down on all its legs for better footing and easily dodges the spear strikes, then attacks when the guard leaves an opening. It lunges with its maw and bites down hard onto the guards forearm, leaving enormous teeth shaped dents in the iron. The guard is not hurt however, quickly striking again for Ultra to back off.  
You watch the fight, confident in Ultra to keep defending itself well, looking for ways to help. The armour the horshtockian is wearing is thick and won't be easily pierced by Ultras talons and teeth or your sword, but you notice the leather belts keeping it together, bound between the iron plates. Another thing is his boots, fit for the snowy terrain but not armoured like the rest of him. Nobody has noticed you yet so you have the element of surprise on your side still. 

Yarnus moves to the front of the sleigh. As soon as he attacks, the duo would see him and try to escape. Looking up, the cave dweller can only partially turn due to her restraints and the heavy looking collar around her neck. He grabs the tautest lead and she obediently turns to face forward again. He doesn’t have to see her eyes to feel the fear emanating from her. Quickly he slices through the leather straps tying her to the sleigh and she stumbles forwards, free of the resistance.  
His actions wouldn’t have gone unnoticed for long so he immediately turned to charge at the guard. Trying to slice enough of the straps to loosen the armour would take too many strikes. Instead he aims low and attempts to hamstring the guard as he runs past. Stopping on the other side to see if that even slows him down. 

You manage to slash at one of his calfs but he seems to have noticed you approaching in time to save his other leg with a kick right to your face. You just barely get your head out of the way, the kick landing onto your good shoulder quite hard, sending you to the ground painfully. You land on your back in the snow and immediately roll out of the way of a vicious spear stab, the horshtockian sputtering madly, throwing more slashes and stabs at you. Even if his eyes are empty they seem burning with bloodlust and battle madness. You throw your sword up to deflect another slash, a little scared of just how vicious the horshtockian is getting-  
The hit is so strong the soldier flies to the side like a ball of yarn played with by an eager kitten. He hits a tree with a loud snap, of a branch, his armour or his bones you can't tell. Instead of lunging at him while he's downed Ultra looks to you calmly, only giving you a slight nod, then jumps up over you and the sleigh in pursuit of the rich duo that had fled into the woods.  
You get up on your feet, looking to the soldier to see what you're up against now. He doesn't seem good, barely getting up on his feet while leaning onto the tree with all four arms. His helmet had fallen off and a streak of blood is going down his face, but he still seems mad with battle madness, just not as able to wildly slash at you as before. His spear is laying a few feet away from him but he hasn't found it yet, trying to scramble up and face you head on. It seems he's ready to go at you with his bare hands and teeth if he has to. 

Yarnus charged up his eyes and ran towards the soldier. He had never fought against a four armed opponent so this might get a little interesting. Still he used the same tactics as he would any other being. Feigning an attack to the good side he changed directions at the last moment and drove his blade upward. The horshtockians weight was too much to bear on his bad leg. He didn’t fall, but he stumbled enough that the blade reached its mark and severed one if not two of the leather straps holding his armour together.  
One thing Yarnus forgot about was his tail. As the warrior went down to one knee he twisted and the stubby appendages nearly knocked him down as well. The little skeleton backed away to refocus his attacks. For a moment the soldier was still, or at least as still as one can be while in pain. Suddenly he let out a primal yell and got back to his feet. The look of fury apparent in his face. This soldier was far to tough and alert for Yarnus to pull the same stunt he did back in Krakögrow.  
Perhaps Ultra had placed too much confidence in his abilities. The majority of his killing experience was from untrained humans or the ones he executed with his magic. He wasn’t used to going up against a soldier that was as powerful as King Jarl himself. He stepped back two steps for every one that the soldier lumbered towards him. There'd be no more charging from this fellow, but no stopping him either until he breathed his last breath.  
If the Horshtockians treated others as beasts, he would just have to think of this fellow as fodder. Nothing more than a practice dummy for Yarnus to learn how to fight these behemoths. Again he charged, this time with the intent of watching how the other moved and reacted. Charging and retreating again and again. Occasionally landing a blow to the leather fasteners. To a sense, he was playing with the guard like a cat plays with a mouse. 

When unarmed, the horshtockian seems to have reverted to a much more feral way of fighting, much like Maiden did when Snork was attacked by the cavedweller soldiers. His arms are strong and the visage of his face, twisted in anger and battle madness, quite terrifying. But he has no focus now, slashing at you wildly with all four arms viciously and with undoubtedly strong blows, but they're easily dodged, especially by someone of your posture.  
You study his attacks, dodging successfully, both of you jumping around like in some sort of weird dance. After a few well aimed slashes his armour only dangles on his shoulder, yet he hasn't noticed.  
It's no problem to survive his attacks, perhaps tire him out, and you could flee at any point since he couldn't pursue you as fast with his leg hurt. The problem is to actually kill this wildly slashing madman. You don't think even if you'd strike him down with your sword without getting hurt yourself, and you really don't feel like-  
Once again a sudden strike knocks the man to the ground, but this time it's not Ultra. You look up, surprised to see the cavedweller standing beside you, hands in fists. The horshtockian had been hit right to the side of his skull, partially knocked out, laying on the ground growling in pain.  
The cave dweller looks to you, her dim eyes emotionless. Without a word she comes over and before you can say a single word she kicks the downed soldier to the head, hard and merciless. The first kick breaks his skull, but it's the second one that kills him, silencing his pained screaming. Then it's silent, only the whistling of wind in the trees echoing around.  
She looks to you, barely clothed in the freezing night, her body covered with scars and whipping marks. She's not a child but she's not an adult either, but her eyes seem old, so very old. She comes down, kneeling to your level, but not darling to touch you.  
"Thrank you, chirld," she bows to you, closing her eyes. After a moment she stands up again, without a word, walking over to the sleigh and taking one thick warm sheet of fur to wrap herself into. Then she runs off into the darkness, leaving you alone...  
But not for long. Just a few second after the cave dweller leaves you sight you hear panicked yelling and fast steps approaching. Turning around you spot one of the rich horshtockians, running for her life, screaming in fear. Before she even reaches the sleigh Ultra emerges from the darkness behind her, even scaring you a bit.  
Its fur, wings, but especially its maw is bloodied, small bits of clothing even stuck onto its sharp teeth. It really looks like a demon, growling madly and flapping its wings as it pounces down the horshtockian and before you can even look away begins to literally tear her to pieces, sinking its teeth into her shoulder and its talons into her sides and legs and violently ripping her to shreds. You are startled by the brutal sight, the sound of her death cry ringing in your skull. Ultra holds the remains of her in its jaws, violently shaking its head like a dog, blood spattering onto the white snow all around, until the screaming dies out. Finally, Ultra stops, its eyes wild, fur puffed up, breathing hard. After a while its breath calms down and Ultra lets go, the mangled corpse falling to the ground with a sickening splat, followed by a short streak of blood from its jaws.  
It's only now that you notice it holds the shredded remains of the other horshtockian in one of its back arms, throwing them down beside her and sitting back. Covered with blood but calmed down now, it looks to you, licking the blood from its teeth. It looks to the dead soldier and nods at you approvingly, but says nothing, perhaps a little out of breath. 

Yarnus had stayed perfectly still when Ultra reappeared. Honestly a little terrified that the beasts bloodlust could possible turn on him. After a moment of silence he finally spoke up, "Well thàt was quite ă leärning expérience."  
Ultra apparently found the comment humorous and opened it’s jaw to let out a hearty chuckle. "You did well Little Warrior. Your enemy is dead and you are still standing."  
"Thē cäve dwêller killed hĩm. I was able tø wear hĩm down a bit and learn from hīm." Yarnus stepped around the discarded carcuses and jumped up into the sleigh to see what he could find. The bottle of whatever the rich horstockians were drinking still had some remaining. He gave it a cursory sniff before tipping it up and into his mouth. "I bélíeve she had every right to kill hím. It was a jůstifìàble dêath." Yarnus nodded as if agreeing with himself.  
"I’m nøt a warrior Ultra." He confesses while leaning back against the front of the sleigh. "I’m a Justiciār. I decíde the punîshment for crimes and áct as executĭoner." He looks around the site they had left in the snow. "My fighting ability ìs not âs goõd as it needs tŏ be." 

The alcohol is very strong and sweet, tasting kind of like cranberries. It's not bad at all.  
Ultra sits there, looking at you, its blank unfocused stare looking almost contemplative. After a moment it slowly approaches, rubbing its body and maw into the snow to clean off some of the blood, then climbs into the sleigh beside you.  
"I hope I have not... thrown you to the wolves, so to say. I was of the impression that you would enjoy a good fight." It sits into the furs, folding its arms under it. "Accept my apologies, should I have put you in front of a task too great for either your weapon or your heart..."  
You notice the floor of the sleigh has a small trapdoor. Opening it you find more booze, as well as a basket filled with some freshly baked goods. A small jewelry box is filled with the same currency you've seen earlier, as well as two very pretty red gemstones, perhaps rubies, cut into triangles with rounded edges.  
Ultra is cleaning off with its tongue, rubbing its maw off the blood, its tail dangling from the sleigh. When you offer it the bottle it wrinkles its nose, shaking its head.  
It's silent for a while. Ultra looks to the mangled mess it's made, a little guilty perhaps, then turns to you again, suddenly nudging its face into you gently.  
"I am sorry you had to see me like so. We need not repeat a hunt like this again, should you wish so..." 

Yarnus is enjoying the rich liquor when Ultra presses against him. It feels a little unusual having such a powerful being showing such tenderness. Yarnus places a hand gently on its head and ruffles it a bit. "I hąvė dõnē things before that I regret. I have nŏ such regrëts äbout this night." This seems to relax the avian-like beast and Yarnus moves to gather the food stuffs and valuables. The bottles he makes sure to secure in the basket, hoping that they all contain the same vintage as the opened bottle.  
"Tonight has jūst mádē it á bit more cleär that I need mōrė experïencĕ ĭf I èver hope to see my friend again. Thê sìzé difference, thė extra limbs, the langûage… It’s nòthing I’m used tõ. While I’m sure that the ‘tockìans àre nòt lìkely to back out ōf a fight. I don’t knõw theĭr word for yield or surrênder is." Yarnus picks up a mostly clean thin blanket and wraps it around his waist. If he was going to be held in the same manner as before, he didn’t want blood on his new kilt.  
"Fightîng the wounded soldĭer was a bit lîke spârrīng wįth Kîng Jărl back home. Therè wąs rarëly a time I could best him…" A small mischievous smile crossed his skull. "I highly døûbt a ticklish spôt would dįssuădë a ‘tockian from a fight." Finding nothing else of interest he jumped down from the sled. 

Ultra watches you jump off and fix your attire, then gets off itself, lazily landing on its arms and almost overflowing from atop the sled like a piece of jello. Its blunt tail slaps against the snow and Ultra gives a huge yawn, showing off its enormous maw. You can't help but notice its two rows of sharp teeth and what appears to be... a second throat under its big broad tongue? How strange.  
It shakes a bit, puffing up its feathers, and approaches you slowly, getting up on its back legs again.  
"Shall we leave now?" it asks. You look around for anything else of value... and notice one of the mangled corpses holding something. It's a book, a bit bloodied, but only on the cover. It's small enough so you decide to stash it into the basket before approaching Ultra to be held in its embrace once again.  
"Let us take to the skies then..."  
Instead of simply jumping up like in the chimney, Ultra takes a running start, flapping its wings until it gets enough altitude to once again glide. The ground under you get further and further, you and Ultra leaving the bloody scene behind. You manage to even see the moving figure of the cave dweller you rescued a little way off, soon disappearing in the underbrush.  
Ultra stays silent, holding onto you and your possessions. It seems it’s flying right back to the forge... Before you can speak up, as if reading your mind, Ultra speaks itself.  
"I shall take you to Tonrüka, but not tonight. I have already endangered you too much for one night. For that, I shall bring you back to the safety of the nest." It puffs through its nose. "I mean the laboratory. Excuse me."  
You fly through the darkness towards the mountain, the only sound being Ultra's wings cutting through the air. You carefully poke your head out to look over Ultra's shoulder and stare up into the sky, into the endless darkness above... Has something just moved up there? No, it must've been your imagination...  
You arrive and Ultra gently begins to go lower and lower through the warm air, falling with such ease even with such an enormous bulky body. Once it lands, it lets go of you, sitting you down on the floor. It places the basket next to you, then takes a step back to get down on all six.  
For a moment it's silent. Ultra looks at you, its brightly yellow unfocused eyes calm. Then it nudges you once again, prompting you to pet its skull, exhaling into your lap.  
"It was a pleasant evening with you train child," it says, "perhaps tomorrow I can show you more of my world..."  
Not explaining the cryptid sentence it pulls back and with a flap of wings gets up into one of the higher ivy covered entrances. The last you see of it is its tail, swishing in behind it.  



	49. Drinking Buddies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We learn a little of Masheenka's past.

  


The heated air from below was a drastic change from the icy winds. Yarnus quickly shed the sweater and scarf before making his way back down the stairs. The pilfered bottles clinked slightly during his descent. He replayed the odd night in his head. Perhaps he would never understand the Horshtockians. To him they were no more different from the Grasslanders or the Cavedwellers. But they seemed to act as if they had nothing in common with them. Yarnus thought of the book he had seen. While he doubted he could read their language he was curious as to why the rich ones thought it was important enough to bring with them when they fled. Deciding to not disturb the others with his light, he sat down on the stairs and lit up the stairwell with his eyes enough to read comfortably. 

You open the book, seeing it filled with strange lettering that makes about as much sense to you as the language itself. You slowly turn the pages, finding illustrations to look at at least. They are hand drawn, very pretty, full of colour, but very strange... one shows what looks like a horse, or the equivalent of one, if it was made of dry wood and ivy. Another shows what looks like a mountain range shaped like teeth. Most show some horshtockian folk, probably very important, just not to you...  
You turn the page and your soul stops beating for a moment. An illustration of a face, eyes hidden behind glasses, teeth shattered into sharp uneven shards. Even if just a drawing it almost seems to flicker. Your skull hurts just looking at it and so you quickly close the book, a little shaken.  
You take a moment, catching your breath. The memories of those awful feelings, the tightness in your ribcage, the turning of your marrow, your skull about to crack with the terrible terrible voice...  
What... what is that... thing? It makes your periosteum crawl just thinking about it...  
You sit on the stairs, still not feeling very tired. You look up and stare at the ceiling, decorated with ivy and huge assorted white feathers, presumably Ultra's. From somewhere deep below there's a humming sound of the fiery forge. The image of Masheenka, deconstructed and so unusually lethargic, appears in your mind. Perhaps you could visit your sweet little train. You imagine it must be like laying on a hospital bed, she would likely appreciate a little visit from her favourite 'pup'.  
On the other hand you aren't so sure if you'd want to see her like... that. All taken apart, like an animal stripped off its flesh. You could just crawl into Omega's arms and eventually you'd surely fall asleep.  
What should you do? 

Masheenka must be lonely... and possibly stressed. It did worry Yarnus that Cometa had mentioned this being an emergency even though nothing seemed to be too crazy in the furnace room. Quietly he gathered the basket and headed to the kitchen. The baked goods and bottles were left behind… well except one bottle that he split off some of the liquid from for himself. After seeing that strange figure again he surely needed a stiff drink. As he drank the first few sips he held Tzacls scarf. Thoughts of rescuing him weren't fading, but getting darker. He wrapped the fabric around his shoulders and headed towards the workshop Masheenka had been left in. 

Encouraged by the drink you make your way down the stairs, the heat rising with every step down, until you arrive into the workshop. You make your way around slowly, careful not to disturb any of the strange machinery scattered around. You walk through the giant forge room, then further to the right, where you saw people carrying all the materials...  
You arrive into a smaller, but still quite big room. Masheenka, or what is left of her, is sitting atop a raised construction. She is bare of her outer cast, her wheels, even her faceplate. A mass of silvery white ectoflesh with uneven bone growths inside, all propped up with metal beams like some sort of morbid cake decoration, only barely similar in shape with the train you know and love. Her lidless eyes stare into space, unmoving. She looks almost dead, a bare corpse, the thought shaking up your soul. You come closer, taking a breath to speak up, but a voice interrupts you.  
"Don't bother," Cometa's dry old voice tells you and you just now notice her sitting at a small table in the corner, only a small table lamp illuminating a bunch of blue papers with white drawings on them. "I took away her hearing apparatus. Even her eyes aren't functional right now. She is completely deaf, blind, unaware of her surroundings. Barely more a living creature than a chunk of rock..." She sighs, frowning, not even looking at you as she speaks. "Makes one wonder, is the state she's in what it feels like to be dead. Once you start taking away her parts, one by one, she gets more and more weak, sleepy, until she feels nothing, nothing but whatever world it is inside her sparse mind. Makes one wonder..." She finally lifts her old eyes to you, staring at you with her serious stare. "What does go on in her mind. You've said you were able to link with her. That is... very interesting. You were a part of her, for a certain time, and then you came back to being a skeleton. What did you see, Yarnus." A little more serious she asks again. "What did you see." 

"I dïdn’t jùst see. I felt. I… wås…" Yarnus trailed off before taking another swig of the bottle. What a sight he must be, standing there half naked in nothing but a kilt and a loose scarf. "She enjōyĕd bėing useful in Rotushko, the kids, thë conductor… she hąd å lõve for them. Being lëft behind wâs hörrible for her. Why did they leave hèr?" He stared at the old lizard for a little while before realizing she wouldn’t answer. Sadly he looked at his hand, rubbing his fingers as if he could feel the blood and crushed bones himself. "It was ān accident yoü know. She dìdn’t meån to… not thé first tîme āt least."  
Without bothering to ask he pulls out a chair and sits opposite of her at the table. "I dòn’t reålly blamè her. I’m nöt clĕar on what happened becaũsē néither īs she. I’m nõt even sùre if it’s just her ĕĩther, I felt… sõmething ēlse in her… sõmêthing a bît fëral." Yarnus is about to finish off the bottle, but decides to at least offer it to the scientist. "I saw her hõrrible loneliness, ąnd I saw her régret fòr mistâkes, and I saw… or at least I thīnk I saw hēr dream. Black stonĕ figures wĩth gems for ĕyes. Somehow they werē cleärer than whàt I know of her sight." 

Cometa looks down at the blue papers, but you can see she's only trying to seem serious and preoccupied. Her small hands with thick dull claws squeeze tightly for a moment, her eyes closing for longer than a blink.  
"Hmm..." That's all she says for a while. You look at her, the hand with the booze still up in offering... until she takes it. She sniffs is and growls, but takes a big gulp anyway, growling even more afterwards.  
"Gah, these fourarmed idiots don't know how to make good booze," she grumbles, but immediately takes another swing, placing the almost empty bottle on the table. She stays silent for a while, staring down into the papers.  
"Gemstones for eyes, huh... I remember that statue garden. From way back, when my world was still existing outside of the Void." She looks away, your eyes feeling a bit of regret in her for saying that. She quickly changes the topic.  
"Heh... Mellow always wanted her to be only a machine. I knew how to make her like that. But I didn't. I found it amusing when she would act like an animal and Mellow would get more and more mad. Every time he asked me to redo it, I just pretended. I never removed who she used to be." She looks up to her. "I don't find it amusing anymore. I should've killed off her mind back when I could. And now..." She lets out a small chuckle, yet doesn't even smile. "Now, for ironically the same reason I should have back then, I can't. I couldn't. It would be like killing a defenceless child. A naive, innocent little pup." Her voice is sad and forlorn, but her face doesn't change, still serious, emotionless. She doesn't look at you, reaching for the bottle to finish it up, growling again. "I didn't know she... I didn't know that happened to her. I would've. I was meaning to visit her, to see how she's doing, even upgrade her with all my new knowledge I got over the years. If that idiot didn't leave me here alone with my genetically engineered new project, I would've. I couldn't just leave Ultra behind, and I sure as hell couldn't take such an animal with me. And then that big dumb bird brought in a sick little cave dweller kid. What could I do, throw him out? The poor little guy didn't even have teeth, probably why they left him out there in the cold for dead. And then it was Bolfur, and then it was Yeneeva..."  
She sinks back in her seat with a long long sigh. Finally, her face changes. Sadness and regret in her eyes, staring down at her own claws. She sighs again, lighter, but even more pained. You feel like she's about to cry, but she never does. She adapts back her serious old scowl, looking up to you.  
"The least I can do now is give her all the work I should have for all those years. It'll take at least two more days, but once I'm done with her, nothing will ever even scratch her again. Unless she wants to..." she adds silently, trying to take another sip, but the bottle is empty now. "Ah... say, got any more of this berry sewage?" 

"I rathër like the flavør. It reminds mé of the lingönberries back hôme." Yarnus stands carefully, skillfully hiding any wobbliness. The alcohol was made for larger beings, but with his tolerance it only made him a bit relaxed and a little over warm for the work area. "I left the rêst in the kitchen, along with sõme baked goods. I never thought going hünting with Ultra would yield breàd and beer."  
Cometa pushed away from the draft covered table and was a little surprised at the appearance of a skeletal hand offering assistance. For a moment she scoffed at the gesture but the hand didn't flinch away. With a defeated sigh she took the hand and found herself being gently guided.  
Yarnus was a gentleman at heart, but did use the excuse to escort the elder lizard as a guise to keep himself stable. "If you'd like I could coōk something for you. That is as long ås you don't think Bolfur would mind. I got the feėling that he's the main cook around hére."  
Yarnus also got the feeling Cometa didn't leave her laboratories often and could use a good meal. It wouldn't be good to let her drink on an empty stomach when she needed to fix up Masheenka. 

"It's my kitchen, I'll let anybody I want cook in it," she grumbles. "Not sure if you know how to cook with our resources. I'll explain any veggie or meat we have to you, if you want to." You smile at the lady, feeling well in her presence. She is, afterall, the first person you met that is more or less your height.  
You slowly walk back through the workshops and into the kitchen, the basket sitting on the counter as you left it. The kitchen is small but very well equipped, with all kinds of kitchenware, ovens and stoves. A huge fridge stands by the wall, filled up with odd but not totally unfamiliar vegetables and fruits and several pieces of fresh meat. The lowest drawer is completely filled up with the bean shaped eggs.  
"I'd appreciate if you did not use the eggs. I am eating those almost every day for more than fifty years now." She sighs and grumbles some more, reaching into the basket and taking another bottle. She tries to open it with her claws, but has no luck with it, till she gives in and uses the corkscrew. She takes a swing, then reaches into the basket again and takes out one of the round soft buns, sniffing at it.  
"Hmm. Haven't had a boochka in ages." She bites into it and looks inside, slowly chewing. A red and white filling is baked inside the bun. "With tvorok and some berry jam. Nice."  
She grabs a chair from the mess hall and slowly drags it in the kitchen, sitting by the counter, her scarred tail poking from behind under her lab coat. With a long exhale she relaxes and takes another big gulp, watching you curiously examining the veggies.  
"How is Violet doing? Did you meet them or...?" She sips a bit. "Because they definitely worked on the train alright. I'd know their handiwork anywhere. They are a jack of many trades, I'll give them that, but don't quite reach my expertise..." 

Something without eggs was more than acceptable to Yarnus and he had an idea of what to make. He pondered a moment while examining what he assumed was a potato or at least a starchy tuber.  
What was Violet up to? Yarnus really didn’t know how much was Perlos work and how much was Violets. "They’vé gŏt â lot of repąirs tõ do I ìmagîne. When I fĭrst arrived āt thëir lab there wăs ănother scientíst thąt hăd taken over... He druggêd Vïolet. Did the same tŏ mé and Omegá. Hĕ… hê…" Yarnus stammered a bit while hauling a pot of water to the stove.  
"Hĕ tøok Omĕgas soul ŏut óf hįs body. I dĭdn’t knów such a thing could be donė."  
Since it was only the two of them Yarnus only peeled one of the somewhat familiar vegetables. He added the diced tuber into the boiling water before finding some small cuts of pale meat in the fridge. "Of coúrse Omegâ’s fine nõw aftër we got him to put it back. Bůt still… I almŏst killed that ‘Pearl Lock’ fĕllow." The small skeleton paused and looked around the kitchen. "Violet was quíte grateful that we rescŭed them and reunited them wíth their sons. Thèy dįdn’t èvên loøk půt ôut whén we came back with Masheenkä. Säy… do yoũ have any flour and vĭnegār?" 

She raises her scaley eyebrows when you tell her Violets lab had been taken over. It's the first time you see her surprised, usually she seems like she knows everything before you even tell her. She listens to you recall the tale of how you and Omega almost became another one of his victims. When you mention Violets sons she grins a bit to herself, as if remembering something, then raises her arm and points up.  
"Top shelf. Have to warn you, our vinegar is a bit more acidic than you're probably used to. Flour is under the counter." She sips from the bottle again, not as heartily as before, probably trying to watch her alcohol. While you continue with the preparation she watches you silently, her eyes a bit distant, probably deep in thought. After a while she speaks up again, her voice a bit less serious, presumably from all the booze.  
"You and Omega... are you from the same universe?" she motions to the general direction of the sleeping hall. "He's a real friendly guy. I didn't want to get him in at first because... well, there's already enough heartbroken orphans here to last me the rest of my life... Sorry if that sounds mean." She shrugs, not appearing very sorry. "But Ultra told me a lot about him. How nice he is to it, friendly and trusting, even before he knew that Ultra meant him no harm. It really likes him..." She keeps quiet for a moment and you're just about to answer when she adds, "and for the first time in forever it felt like Ultra wasn't talking about somebody it found outside as its new child, heh. More of a mate, really..." She looks up at you, then away, tapping the bottle over her lower lip contemplatively. "Maybe I wasn't supposed to say that..." 

He can’t help but to chuckle as he reaches for the vinegar. The extra acidicness actually would help cut down the marinade time. "We’rē not from the same ůníverse. As fâr ás he knows I’m not from any ùniverse he knows about. I’ve ŏnly beĕn here for a few weeks, bút he’s bēen here much longer." Yarnus splashes the vinegar over the meat and massages it in. "Yeah, Omegà is a really friendly guy, but he’s got sômeônè special tó get back home to. To somêthįng hė cálls thĕ Sånsuary." Leaving the meat to soak he gathers the flour and butter and warms up a frying pan. "I hôpe Ultrà doesn't get jêalõus, cause I havė the feeling that Omega may häve sèvêräl ‘specìal someones’." For a while he’s silent. Working on breading and frying the strips of meat before mashing the tuber with herbs and frying it up in small patties. He can only hope that the concoction tastes like fried chicken and hashbrowns. Since she hadn’t spoken up during the preparation it probably won’t taste too bad. Yarnus sets out two plates and brings them over to Cometa, taking one of the sweet rolls from the basket for himself. "Honestly I dón’t know what I am to Omĕga. Friénds, definitely. Lovers… wê’ve been together a cøuple of times. Matēs. I’m nòt so süre abŏut. When I held his soul in thăt vât… I felt somethîng. I thought maybe wē wėre søul-mátès." He takes a bite of the meat and chews on it, thinking. "Wē’ve nēver reąlly talkëd äboũt that mŭch. Too busy sāving thë Void, or at lêâst trying to." 

Cometa takes a long good look at the meal you made, taking a few good sniffs. She delicately uses her fork and knife to cut off a small bit, perhaps her teeth aren't working properly with age, and hums with satisfaction at the taste.  
"Hashbrowns and fried chicken," she almost smiles, "haven't had that in years. I should've told you to use the lighter meat, but this isn't bad either." Tasting it for yourself you also find the meat a bit more fatty than how it should be, but it's still a damn good meal.  
For a while you eat in silence, Cometa continuing to cut off smaller bits. At one point she asks you to fetch two glasses for the alcohol, so you don't have to drink from the bottle like a couple of homeless people. She chuckles at her own notion and you say nothing, but you don't find it too funny.  
After a while Cometa finally speaks up again, just as she's pouring you a glass of the cranberry wine.  
"I wouldn't dwell on it too much... Ultra isn't really looking for this kind of mate. It has many of those, just like Omega, out there in the wild. It doesn't tell me, but I know all too well just how friendly it gets with the local canimorph packs, heh." She cuts a bit of the meat, shaking her head. "It doesn't want a lover. It doesn't even really want a mate, not primarily. It wants children. As you might have noticed yourself..." She stops to take a sip of the wine, almost finished with her meal by now. "But, sadly, I don't think it will ever have any... I made Ultra from a genetical combination of various types of code-created creatures. The mulgeōvum, a milk and egg giving domestic species created from code manipulation a long time ago by a community living here in the Void, now long dead. The hiemrheno, an ancient codeling born here in the cold plains, known for its thick fur. I even added some canimorph subspecies, just because they were available. Honestly I am surprised it turned out so well, truly the ultimate lifeform, heh. I wish I could create a mate for it, but I no longer have any mulgeōvum samples..."  
She sighs sadly, putting her fork and knife over the now empty plate.  
"This was... an amazing meal. You'll have to teach it to Bolfur." And then, for the first time since you've met the scientist, she smiles. Really, genuinely smiles. 

The talk of creating new lifeforms is a little unsettling to hear, but what’s done is done and Cometa seems to take care of the ones that she had created.  
"I höpĕ you’ll fōrgivé mé fŏr my ignorance. Wherê I come from we névér knew of thĭs ‘cöde’ I’ve heard talkèd abŏůt herê. Amalgamåtes, yes. But sciëntĩsts like you ånd Viölêt…" Yarnus shook his head. "We had limīted resoûrces and most júst… well they had a habit of blowing themsélves up õr jūst disappeárįng one day." He stood and gathered the plates for washing. "I døn’t ūndērstand thesē códelíngs. The Grąsslanders hate the Cąve-dwëllers. With reasõn I hēar. Bůt bòth áre viewed inferior by the Horshtōckìans… who don’t evén ûnderstand â lānguåge that’s common ēverywhere I’ve bëen sŏ far." Yarnus refills both their glasses before sitting down, casually resting his jaw on his palm. "What happened here? Why wâs Rŏtushkõ abăndonèd for Zwēzyr?"  
Unlike others he had met in the Void. He felt like she would be the most honest and most likely to know the history of this place. 

Cometa shakes her head, growling. "It's a long story full of dumb decisions. The Grasslanders and Horshtockians are both codeling descendants. They've lived here in this mostly stable piece of Void for ages and ages, evolving their own culture, their own language. Rotushko and all its adjacent cities were founded by reminds and overglitches stuck in the Void, who originally respected the Grassland natives, traded with them and such... it was mutually beneficial. Horshtockians were not interested in trading, other than slavery. Grasslander chiefs with enough warriors to defend them would occasionally buy back their own people for food with them, but other than that they were mostly very aggressive towards each other. Then..." She sighs deeply, taking her glasses off and rubbing her eyes. "From the border of Glasswöll came Equinlibria. I think Mellow made her. But why... I don't know." She keeps silent for a moment, then puts her glasses back on and raises her head to you. "Back then it was small, but with the ability to consume soulpower it grew. For whatever reason it convinced the cavedwellers it was their God. That the Grasslands belonged to them. And the cavedwellers moved from the caves and into the Grasslands, right to the most sacred place of the Grasslanders, the Ωmega hub. The natives got slaughtered, their tribes dispersed and now only small groups are surviving across this land. The Horshtockians are willing to trade with the cavedwellers, who are much bigger and more brutal, a better match for them. Since then it's been like this..." She sighs again, looking away. For a while she contemplates... then speaks up again. "I don't know... why. Why did Mellow... leave, why did he do all this. It makes no sense to me... perhaps he's lost his mind." 

He contemplates, watching the red liquid swirl in his glass. "The last fëw weeks has beèn fîlled with důmb decisions for mė." He sets the glass down and droops his skull down all the way to the table. "Thère’s nŏ more Equinlibria and no more Ωméga hûb ànd now there’s a crāzy bastard somehow freäkįshly mërged with her old body dōing gòds know whåt with the tørn up hub bits." Yarnus pulls his arms up over his head. Not that it’ll do much good, but it makes him feel a little less vulnerable. His words weren't muffled by his arms, but they were a little shaky as he spoke.  
"It’s all my fault. I jùst wanted to go homē. I… I just wanted to dō whăt was right… ya knŏw? I thõught if I helped him kill Equįnĭlibrīā things would bė better fôr everyone. I nevēr thōught he wantêd to replace her… Nôt in the way that he dįd." The room was painfully silent for a moment as the news registered in Cometas mind.  
"I think the õver-glįtch trîĕd to wārn mĕ aboût him, bût I was só hūng up about not being ăble tò réad him that… thät I let him… heh. Hè ‘wōn’... Maybė that’s why he said hìs name was Won. That lĩttlë shit probăbly àlwàys gets hįs way." 

Cometa stays silent for an excruciatingly long while. She stares at you as you lay on the table, then slowly takes a hold of the glass and finishes off the rest of her drink.  
"I see," she says flatly after setting the glass back down on the table. "I was wondering what happened to the Ωmega Hub. The balance of reality has been a bit... awry lately."  
You feel a hand placed on your forearm, a soft touch, patting you until you raise your eyes to her.  
"Don't worry about it too much. That 'Won', whatever he is, isn't really able to control this world as much as he probably thinks he can. Even with her body and the hub at his command..." She pokes into your glass, prompting you to finish your drink. "There are many myths about the Ωmega Hub, grown from the old tales from the Natives. Not much is true." She raises her head, looking out to see if anybody is listening in, then leans closer to you. "There is... something else. Up by Glasswöll. I don't know what it is, perhaps another hub, perhaps some ancient entity. I think it's what the Horshtockians believe is their God. If this guy wants to truly control this world he'd have to take control of whatever is up there too. I think he's only now realizing that even with his powers he can't do what he thought he would be able to." She shrugs lightly. "He hasn't showed up here so far, I would know, so he might not even know what's preventing him from taking over this entire Void sector. The cavedwellers are probably paying up big time now. But it's hard to feel sorry for them. They were the ones slaughtering the innocent not too long ago." She chuckles, not smiling once again. "Funny that what kills them is what persuaded them to kill in the first place, huh?" 

Taking the hint, Yarnus sits up and finishes off his glass. Her words didn’t give him much comfort, but at least he didn’t feel worse. "My grasslander frïēnds said they werē heädĭng tø thēïr òther home in Glasswöll. Tōnrükå I believê. That’s at lêąst where I dropped off the chīldren I rescùed. I hope they’rê såfe there. I worry abŏut the cavedweller ōnes. Théy’re just kids. Thēy shouldn’t be punished for their pārents ănd grand-parents mīstakēs." He looks up and notices the same look on Cometas face as she had when talking about Ultra bringing home strays. "I mentìoned them tó Ultra and ít’s wîllïng to fly me thēre so I cān chéck øn them all." 

Cometa nods, slowly getting off the much bigger chair. Her feet land on the floor, her tail following, and she rubs her back, groaning.  
"Ugh, why is everyone in this damn place so overgrown..." She hunches back over, looking to you with her tired, but still grumpy stare. "The people of Tonrüka probably wouldn't like to see you with Ultra, but I'm sure you two can figure that out yourself... I'm sure they'll have a big party in your honor once you show up, with the saved kids and everything. I'll be sure to give you some pretty trinkets we made, they love that kinda stuff." She comes to you and takes your hand, taking you down from the chair. "Now go to sleep, it's very late." She orders you in a way that reminds you of your auntie, making you smile a little bit. She doesn't smile back with her mouth, but you can feel it in her eyes, before you come to a spot at which your ways part. She disappears down the stairs and into the workshop, leaving you alone. 

Yarnus smiles to himself, wondering if Ultra may have started bringing home stray children for Cometas sake as well as its own desires. He could feel the alcohol affecting his magic and warming his bones as he made his way back to the sleeping quarters. Now he felt like he could sleep. All the other troubles that had been plaguing his mind could wait for another day. Plans needed to be made and allies rallied if he had any chance to get Tzacl free. Quietly he snuck into the room and made his way to Omega’s cot. A small bit of him felt guilty for leaving his friends side, but he at least knew that this was a safe place for him to be. 


	50. Five Plumhelmets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> OMG Chapter 50 ya'll !!
> 
> I'm out of buffer chapters. So this is it for a bit.

  


When you wake up you feel like you've been asleep for weeks. Your bones are stiff and sore, your mouth dry yet you can still taste the cranberries. After the first few moments of being awake spent staring into the ceiling and contemplating death you groan and get up, looking around.  
The beds are empty, safe for the sheets, sometimes neat and sometimes messy. You slip from the cot onto the warm ground, rubbing the heavy sleep from your eyes. Stretching and yawning you feel much better, ready to get up and see what's going on and where everybody left to.  
Just a you get up Omega appears in the door, holding a big clay plate and a metal cup. When he sees you he smiles widely, chuckling.  
"hey, i was just about to come wake you up, it's almost noon already! ya slept like a baby, we didn't wanna wake ya up so we went to make breakfast without you, but no worries!" He comes closer and leans down to show you a big piece of cooked ham with two sunny side up eggs and two toasted slices of bread. In the cup is some sort of dark green fruit juice.  
"ya wanna eat here or should i take it down to the messhall? e'rrybody there rn, playin some weird card game that i really suck at. i think i owe them guys like an entire fortune already, heheh!" He laughs heartily. "n how was the hunt last night? ultra seemed real happy n satisfied, said you were great out there."  


With a huge yawn he reached out to take the juice. The sweet nectar helped with lingering effects of last nights wine. "Downstäírs míght bë best. I coŭld use somė water thîs morning." Yarnus stood and stretched before finding himself lifted up under the larger skeletons arm.  
"downst’airs it is then!" With the smaller skeleton under one arm Omega balanced the tray with the other and made their way towards the others.  
The room and hallways spun a little since he was at such an awkward angle but he didn’t complain. Once there he was sat down and greeted. Still a little drowsy Yarnus pretty much only had eyes for his breakfast as he listened in on the day’s conversations.  


The others at the table greet you warmly, playing, just like Omega mentioned earlier, some sort of card game. It seems very complicated and difficult to grasp, so you mostly ignore it in favour of your meal. Dipping the toasted bread in the rich yolk is one of the tastiest things you've ever eaten, so rich and good, although it's a bit ruined by knowing where - or more so who - it comes from.  
After a while Yeneeva lifts her head to you, smiling widely, and speaks up from the continuous tactical murmur of the two twins who seem to be playing together.  
"So hey lill' man, you're going to Tonrüka I've heard," she says, getting the attention of the rest of the group. "That place gonna be filled up to the brim with refugees I bet. After all that ruckus down in Grasslands..."  
"Indeed," Bolfur nods, "the natives often take cover in that city when trouble is afoot. Which seems to be more and more often these past years..." He sighs, looking to the ceiling, then back to you. "Say, we may craft any tool or item for you. What are you looking to find in Tonruka that you cannot find here? Looking to meet somebody?"  
"I think I got some distant family there," Yeneeva says. Bolfur laughs lightly.  
"I am sure we all do my dear, it's a small world." Hictor nods in agreement but doesn't say a word. 

"Yōu säy thē natives take rêfuge therè, bũt whát of cävedwèllers? I parted ways with the chįldrĕn just outsĩde ŏf Tonrüka and some óf them are cavedwellers. I’m just a bĭt worrĭëd for them." He pushes the ham around on his plate hoping that the cured meat was indeed from an animal and not a Horshtockian. "Thėy’re gõod kïds. I tŏld them to look out fòr onĕ ănöther ănd to reåch oũt to oúr frìends Snork ąnd Maiden if they neėded hélp." Eventually he gave into his hunger and cut off a small portion of the meat.  
"I’m also a bit scared thât the Zwezyr-beast thåt tore ìntô Masheènkå might back-track to the town lôöking før me. Thè grasslandërs mĩght mĭstäkĕ ĭt for a rèal canimorph and not realìze thėir místâke befōre it’s toò late. I’ve learned that canimorphs leavë bėhind cårcàssës… but these things… they dûst lįke us when killed."  
Even the twins pause creating an odd silence before a large hand firmly lands on his back. "ey, howdabout ya bring those kiddos of yers some prezzies? wern’t there a pair o’ twins girls in yer pack. maybe the boys here could think of sumthin for ya to bring them."  
Yarnus nods, "Yeah, if I have nothing ėlsê to do I could make sòme stüffed dolls myself, but I’m not sûre what kids from àroůnd herē wôuld like. Comēta mentíŏned sending some trïnkets with mè." He chewed on another bite of meat thoughtfully before turning to Yeneeva, "Could yõu makē á whistle, or whistles, for me? Ultra is willíng to dròp më off near tōwn, bùt I wòŭld nėed a way to signal fôr ìt to pick me bâck ũp. Māybe if I gave the kids the sāme kind I’d sleep bëttér knøwing they had a way to call for help. I know wê’rĕ a long wáys öff, but it’s really the thóught that coŭnts." 

"Ah, yes, the cavedwellers... Not often that those seek refuge here, or anywhere," Bolfur rubs his chin, "but, if Tonrüka gives its safety to Voidtravelers and Horshtockians, I see no reason to exclude them."  
"Dorn't be sturpird," Hictor growls, "you yourselrf krnowr the nartivers harve plerntry reasrorns..." Yeneeva frowns.  
"Come on, I dunn' believe they'd leave 'em out to die because of that old conflict." She tries to sound serious and firm, but you can tell she doesn't really believe what she's saying herself.  
Uncomfortable silence falls for a moment, before Bolfur speaks up again, trying to put on a smile.  
"Well, in any case, the people of Tonrüka would definitely appreciate some of our craft, yes?"  
"Yeah," Yeneeva nods, a bit down, "we should get that collected. Come on guys..."  
The group gets up, leaving the cards behind, and slowly leaves, not saying a word. You and Omega remain, staring behind them silently. Now you wish you didn't even ask. You are left worried and feeling even more guilty.  
Omega smiles widely to lift the mood up again, patting you on the back softly.  
"hey, so... i guess we could check up on ultra huh." For the lack of a better idea you agree.  
You leave the last bit of the ham behind, not feeling hungry anymore, as you and Omega make you way up into the chimney room. The big guy carries you most of the way so you don't have to struggle with the overly big stairs again, smooching and petting you when he has the chance. Walking over the grate you enter Ultra's nesting room and find the creature sitting by the firepit, gnawing on a raw meaty bone.  
"hey big guy!" Omega greets it, gently putting you down. Ultra, licking its teeth, sniffs at the air, then greets you back.  
"Greetings Omega, Yarnus." It puts the meal down, clicking its two rows of teeth as it approaches gracefully. "I haven't expected you to be here so early... You wish to leave already?" it turns its unfocused eyes to you.  
"nah man, the others wanna pack us some stuff for the road. ya kno, so we can give sum to em tonrüka folk ey?" Ultra turns its head to him curiously. It’s silent for a moment, then turns to you before turning back to Omega.  
"My apologies Omega dear but... I may only carry Yarnus. You know how our flight had gone... I could hardly lift you both, let alone all the way to Tonrüka."  
Silence falls once again as you and Omega look at each other. You don't even need your enhanced sight to see that Omega is visibly distressed by this realization. He stares down at you, then forces a smile, even though you know it hurts him greatly to have to be away from you once again.  
"well, hey, somebody's gotta take care of masheenka right? heheh..."  


Yarnus takes the larger skeletons hand and looks up to him, "I'll be safé with Ultra and I'll bê back soon. I want to be here when they wake Mashēenka. Bùt after this mornings conversation I'm worríed ąbøut sōmé of my, I mean, sŏmê of thė children I lëft theré."  
Omega nods, still a bit torn at being separated again so soon. "u promise you'll be back soon?"  
"Yes." This time Yarnus is forcing a smile to help keep himself positive. "I prõmised the kids I'd bring yoü and Tzàcl back with Mashèenka. And I plan òn këepīng that promisē. Büt I need to máke sure evĕryonë is ôkay." He gently hugs the larger skeleton before turning to address Ultra. "Whåt time would bé bĕst for yŏu? I wăs hoping you could stay nêar thĕ town while I chèck on the children. I… I hope I wôn't have to ąsk you to bring any bâck with us."  


Ultra raises its head sharply at the mention of children being brought back with you, but quickly masks it as trying to scratch an itch with one of its wings. You notice a small thumb like protrusion with a dull claw poking from the fluffy feathers covering the edge of the wing with which it scratches the back of its head, trying to not let on how exciting the thought of new children is to it.  
"Well, I may take you there any moment you wish. I don't exactly have plans that would keep me tied up, so to say." It folds its wings back over its back, shaking them a bit to settle the feathers down. "I will wait here. Take your time preparing as long as you wish, train child."  
Before you can make a decision of what to do now, the ivy curtain covering the way to the huge dark garage is swept aside by one of Yeneevas long arms. She carefully enters, looking around, then spots you and her empty eyes go bright with a smile.  
"There you are! We got the stuff to give away all rounded up n' ready for ya!" Then she turns to Omega and winks mysteriously, "and something extra."  
Omega smiles widely in anticipation. "ya got it done so soon?"  
Yeneeva raises her head proudly. "Sure did, it was a piece 'o cake, really. Come on!"  
Curious, you follow the grasslander native into the garage. A big leather rucksack rests on the ground, presumably filled with whatever trinkets and doohickeys Cometa decided is fit for you to give away. Next to it is something wrapped up in a brown rag, which Yeneeva quickly picks up and carries closer. Omega puts a hand on your shoulder, looking very excited.  
"Sooo," Yeneeva starts, still keeping the gift hidden, "Omega had this idea and plenty of direction, and I had the skills and materials... so we made this!"  
She uncovers the item with a hard pull at the cloth covering it and you are greeted to the sight of a shiny and new cuirass. It's made of some almost white silvery metal and once you get it in your hands you can feel it's very light for such a big piece of armour. It's not as ornate as your old one, fairly simple but very well made and sturdy despite its lightness. Inside it's upholstered with some sort of fur, leather straps holding the front and back piece together. It has a simple but pretty picture gilded on the chest, a circle with twelve lines going to all sides from it. A golden sun.  
"Bolfur did the gilding, he's real good at it. I know it pro'lly ain't exactly perfect, we couldn't get any more decoration done cuz of the time press, but it should protect ya better than any ol' armor ya can buy 'round here." She stands up tall, watching you eagerly, but not as eagerly as Omega.  
  


With the cuirass held close to his ribs he looked wide eyed back and forth between the two. "This is… this is wöndërful. Thànk you!" Yarnus sets the new armor down for a moment and jumps up into the big skeletons arms. "Thank yoũ! Thank you!" He pressed his teeth to each side of Omegas wide grin at least two or three times before removing himself and turning his attention to Yaneeva. The grasslander takes a small step back half expecting the need to catch an exuberant skeleton mid-air. Instead Yarnus takes hold of her lower hands in his own looking up at her. "Thank you Yaneevâ. It's wondĕrful. I'll dò my best to not get it damaged." He let's go of her hands only to spread his arms out inviting a hug.  
"You silly sugar-skull," she bends down to hug him fully. "It's meant ta keep you from gett’n damaged." Together they chuckled before Yarnus pulled away.  
"I wásn’t planning on heading out so soon to tell you the truth. I’m still a bit ąchy from last nįght… and neėd to gather ä fêw things myself… and…" Yarnus looks contemplated for a bit "Oh! I remember what I was gõing to åsk för. Could you possìbly make a scabbärd for my swórd? Nothing fåncy, I jůst wørry about accįdentălly cŭtting somêonĕ with it."  
"Sure thing little guy. I guess ya left it up under yer bunk. Won’t take me no time to whip something up." She gave him a playful nudge and started to head off before calling back over her shoulder. "The hot springs are good for aches. I’ll catch up with you there or in your room when I’m done."  
He waved at the departing grasslander as Omega grasped him from behind and lifted him to his shoulder. "so what’s yer plan little buddy? i was really look’n forward to goin’ with ya."  
"I knòw…" Yarnus presses his head against the others skull. "I wish yoù coũld come too, bùt wë’ll håve to wäit for Masheenka tô be buïlt up agåin." It felt a little weird wording it that way. Hopefully her new form would allow them to travel just as well as her train-on-wheels did. "I thįnk I nèed to make myself sôme wintēr gêar ìf I’m gôįng to spend much mørè time in this äreâ. Thé cold didn’t bother me too much låst nĭght, but I did almost freeze tò death thė night bēfore." Omega gave a quiet hum at the thought of losing his friend for good. He stared blankly ahead for a while thinking before a small hand caressed his face. "I thïnk right nów I jùst want to spend tíme with you before I go. We can talk while I tailor õr we can soăk in the sprĭngs. It’s up to yoü."  


"oh," Omega shrugs, lifting you up with his shoulder, "ah' don't really mind either. tho i would like to see ya work that gear. i betch'yer a real wonder to watch, just look at this new kilt ya made!" He grabs your new article of clothing with two fingers and lifts it slightly before letting go again. "i'd like to help ya out if i can, too. lets git down there ey?"  
He carries you and the backpack of trinkets to the stairs, then puts the bag down and gets you in his arms bridal style to carry you further down to the sleeping quarters. With your lead he helps you pull out all that you need and soon the floor is covered with cloths, fabrics and furs. You begin to work, asking Omega to sometimes hand you something or hold a piece while you sew or cut. Omega is silent, but a big smile is on his face. He watches you with a soft warm look as you work. Even with nothing said you feel the comfort and warmth of being close the big skeleton.  
As you sit and sew, you feel him gently place one huge hand on your back, rubbing you softly as he sits next to you. You lean into his touch, lean your head against him, eventually ending up working while sitting sideways in his lap. He rubs your skull and gives you little kisses, holding all your needed tools in his other hand for your convenience.  
You're all the more sad that you're leaving him again so soon when you're held in his lap so comfortably. You hope you will be able to spend some quality time together soon, in privacy, pressing your head against his chest and closing your eyes for a moment...  
"oh, is it finished?" he asks, snapping you back to full attention, "what'dya make?"  


Fighting the previous night had made Yarnus reconsider his clothing options. Just a kilt and cuirass was fine for the caves and the grasslands, but here in the snowy mountains he’d need protection from the elements just as much as physical protection. The fur Yeneeva used in the cuirass must have been a from a commonly found creature. There was more than enough to fashion a set of leather bracers and to make legwraps. With some sturdy leather he was able to make some simple boots in the fashion that he saw the Horshtockian soldier wearing.  
Omegas back rub both calmed him and made him nervous at the same time. He remembered how his big friend disliked fighting, but here he was, making a new set of armour. As the finishing touches on the leather bits were done he stretched before settling on Omega’s lap with the final piece. Luckily he had found a dusky grey wool shirt that would have fit him perfectly had it not been for the extra sleeves. Old rusty stains running through some fibers reminded him of the morning clouds of home.  
All this time was spent in near silence. Only the soft sounds of bones shifting and deep thrum from the distant workshop were heard for the longest time. They had things to discuss and Yarnus wasn’t sure how to bring up the subject. His hands finished up the work on the shirt almost without thinking. It actually took him a moment to realize he was done and his friend was talking to him.  
"Oh… I needĕd sõme wármer clothës if I’m gōíng tô be oùt and aboùt in the cold. Last night I saw boots like thëse on a Horstockîan and figured they’d be the bêst før walking ìn snow." A small smile crossed his face thinking back to his first day in the Void. "Yõu’ve seen hów well I handlĕ snów." They both chuckled. It felt good.  
"You knøw. I could wait. Cometą säid shē’d have Masheenka up ánd bėtter than évėr în just a few days. We cøuld all heàd tö Tonrükä together ānd meet up with Maidên ąnd Snørk ànd the kids. It’s just…" Yarnus sighed and layed his head on the larger skeletons chest. "I’m afraìd õf thàt beast thàt chásed me acröss thê river. It hünted me down near Tonrüka änd I’m âfraïd ît mĩght go back there ánd pĭck up my scent ôn thè kids or thĕ brothers. If it cąme here... I’m sure Comēta has defenses, bút the grąsslanders įn Tonrükà probably dón’t and woûld mìstąke ît for a canimorph." He shifted and gave the larger skeleton a hug. More because he felt the need for one himself. "I dōn’t want to put anyone else īn dangèr. Not yòu. Nøt the kįds or the town. Not even Ultra. I’m going to åsk īt if it’s wïlling to hunt the Zwezyr-beăst with me and put ìt down for goŏd befórë ănyone ëlse įs hurt by it."  


Omega hugs you back, rubbing the back of your skull as you press your face into his parka. He coos at you calmingly and gives your skull a little kiss.  
"there there lill guy, i getchya. wouldn't be able to tell ya how many folk i had endangered out here in the void myself, mostly by bein the big dumb goof i am, heh..." He gives you another kiss before pulling back, holding you upright in his lap. He gives you a soft smile, putting a hand on your cheek and rubbing away the slight wetness of your eye socket. You haven't even realized you teared up...  
"lisen lill man," Omega says, his voice deep and sweet as honey, "i trust ya. not just that - believe in ya. and i'm certain that whatever you decide to do will be the right thing. i wish i could be with you to help ya out but... that'll just have to wait. that's okay. i know you can handle anything this hellhole throws yer way. and i'll be waitin for ya." He kisses you, this time on your teeth. He presses to you for a while, then pulls back again, his smile only wider and his eyes softer. "hey i had this idea... in case ya, for any reason, aren't back before our old girl is fixed, we can come gechya. not that i think anythin will happen tho!" he raises a hand. "but, yanno, just in case somethin did. the void's all kinds of fucked up right."  


Yarnus nods and wipes at his face, "I höpe that the wōrst wòuld be if I had tô stay įn Tonrükä for some reasōn. I’d feel bétter if you stayed here ūnlëss Ultra said it was safe to travel òr càme with you." He leans in and returns the kiss, but doesn’t pull away. Just resting his forehead against the others skull, relaxing in the close proximity. "I’ll know that you’ré säfe herė and I’ll go maké surè the óthērs are toõ… then I can jůst wörry aboût Tzacl. Heh…" He pulled back with a silly smirk on his face. "Màsheenka took à likĭng to him as soon thëy met änd I thînk he’s got a soft spot for her as well. I just… I just want us all to be back togethèr and safé as soon as põssiblé." Yarnus was pulled into a strong hug of agreement.  
"me too bud. me too." Omegas giant hand caressed the smaller skeleton’s skull. "i got no idea how long it’ll take ta fix up Sheenka, or how long it takes to git ta Tonrüka. i just dun wanna be missin ya for too long now that i gotcha again."  
"I don’t want to bë gonë long ëither. Cômeta said it will täkė at lėast two days. So I mĭght stay a night at Tōnrükä if Ultra wants tõ just drop me off. It dōesn't wånt to drāw attention tō itself and I understând that." He looks around at the supplies given to him for his journey and suddenly remembers something. "Oh, I forgŏt to ask Cometä ăbout sòmèthĩng I found lāst night. It might just be a pointless ledger or sómething, but shè might be able tō reąd it if shė knows enòugh abòut Horshtøckiåns." 

"oh, didn't we tell ya?" Omega says, getting up with you in his arms "she got down with some kinda headache. she doesn't wanna be bothered rn... but i can give it to her once she's up." You agree, gettin down on the ground and bringing him the gilded book you've left at the stairs to the kitchen. He looks through it and you want to warn him about the image, but it's too late. He doesn't seem to even flinch at anything he sees though.  
"hmm, cool book," he mutters as he stashes it in his pocket.  
The door opens and in comes Yeneeva, holding your sword, now sheathed with black leather. She smiles at you and quickly comes closer, the rest of the group emerging behind her.  
"Here ya go!" she hands you the new scabbard, holding your pearlescent sword, "should do ya nicely."  
"Intrerestirng mertarl..." Hictor mumbles from the back, his hands in his pockets. Bolfur comes forth, taking a hold of your hand with all four of his and shaking it gently.  
"Be safe out there comrade, we will await your, hopefully quick, return." He bows his horned head to you lightly before pulling back again. Hictor nods at you with his old eyes closed, a silent yet understandable gesture. The twins don't bid you farewell, instead just smiling at you while holding hands.  
It seems you're now ready to go. Clothed in your new warm set, with your sword now secured on your back and your shiny new cuirass holding your chest comfortably safe, all that remains is to go up to the chimney to meet up with Ultra. You wonder whenever there was anything else you wanted to do before you go... 

He felt sorry for the old lizard. For the wine to have knocked him for a loop it surely would have done an equal number on her as well. He hoped she would feel better soon and the delay didn’t harm Masheenka. "I thank yoŭ all for yõur hŏspitalïty and everything yoŭ’ve done for ûs. Is thēre anything I can do for you all? I fĭgure yoü don’t get můch cŏntact with Tonrükà, I could try to bríng back some wàres or inqūire ăboùt familiès ïf yöü wīsh." He waited for a list to be made, if at all, before saying his farewells. A returned nod to Hictor, "I have nò ideă what the sword is madė from. It wás foůnd somewhêre hĕre in thë Voîd." He smiled and nodded to the twins and briefly bows to Bolfur before taking up one of Yaneeva’s hands and pressing his teeth lightly to it’s back. "Tô yoů, I mäy literālly owe you my life for màkîng this armour. I wîll do my bëst to repay the fāvor."  
Without lingering too long Yarnus picks up the packs and repeats his promises to return quickly.  
Taking Omegas hand he starts up the stairs only to find him lifted up and carried once again. This time the big guy is a bit quieter than usual and Yarnus leans into him and snuggles his head. "I’m sure Ultra will kėėp me safė and I prömise I’ll comê bâck as soon as I can. For yôu and for Masheĕnka." 


	51. Povznášející Zkušenost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Povznášející Zkušenost - Uplifting Experience

  


Omega arrives at the top of the stairs, but doesn't let go yet. He looks at you for a moment, then hugs you tightly, almost too tight. He holds you for a moment, then finally lets go so you can breathe again. Setting you down he smiles at you, kissing you one more time before patting your shoulder and stepping back.  
"I see you've arrived," the cawing voice startles you, Ultra having arrived right behind your back without you noticing. "Are you ready to go train child?" You just nod.  
Ultra gets up on its hind legs and gets a hold of you like before, grabbing your bag with one of its lower arms. You get ready for another rough take off, but Ultra simply spreads its wings, the hot air lifting you both up slowly. Looking down one last time you see Omega waving a hand at you. You wave back, before you lose sight of him, and Ultra begins beating its wings to gain more altitude.  
Once again you take up to the white sky. Now that the light is on you see further around, up until the white haze of snow gets too dense a few miles away. Ultra flies higher and higher, much higher than before. It starts getting colder and you're very glad you have your warmer clothes on, but still can't help but press to the beast for warmth.  
You decide to ask why it's flying so high when the ground gets obscured by the white haze as well, a bit worried by now. "Just a moment..." Ultra beats its wings harder a few times, getting even higher-  
Suddenly there's a loud crack, like when you throw a rock into a frozen lake. You get a bit startled as your surroundings get dark in an instant and the hard pull of gravity lets go. Your eyes wide, you stare around, completely flabbergasted.  
All around you it's completely dark. White snowy powder is hovering around above a thick layer of ice that forms the "ground" of this strange place, the "ceiling" of the lands below. Gravity is much much weaker here, and instead of flight, Ultra now glides and slides easily over the endless ice floor. Carefully looking up over its shoulders you see enormous ice crystals hovering high above. You can't really tell how big they are, having nothing to compare them to in the endless darkness.  
"I do not go here too often," Ultras cawing voice echoes in the snowy plain. "Strange creatures reside in the darkness... But it does provide me with a much easier flight. For such a long journey I see it fit to take advantage of the 'featherfall'."  


The sky was a ceiling. He had suspected as much but seeing it in person was something else. But now viewing the previous sky as the current ‘floor’ was confusing along with the somewhat floaty sensation. He held on tightly to the arms surrounding him. Not sure if a fall would land him safely on the snow below or if he would crash through the ice or a previous puncture. "Is this… is thĭs safè? Did pieces fall down? Aré the creaturës dangerous?..." He felt there were other questions to ask but the strangeness of everything silenced him in the moment. He could clearly see how difficult it would have been to go this route with Omega and he definitely did not want to subject any of the kids to this form of travel. Heck he wasn’t so sure he’d want to return in this manner himself. 

"It's quite safe, yes," Ultra assures you, gently petting you with one of its clawed hand. "The creatures are... strange, but harmless I'd say. I've never been attacked by one. Sometimes they approach me somewhat, as if wanting to take a look. Their smell is one of much... strangeness. I can never pin it down, truly."  
With a light flap of its wings it remains afloat, only very lightly touching the layer of ice. Looking back you see the floating snowflakes picked up by your movement fly up and dance around, swirling and falling so beautifully...  
"This is the birthplace of the never ending snowfall. I do not know exactly how it forms, how it goes through the ice layer, if at all. I tried to see if chipped off pieces could fall to the ground. They come apart into millions of snowflakes the moment they enter our world below." It looks up, allowing you to also better see the giant crystals of ice above. "As for those... I tried once to reach them. But no matter how much I flap my wings I cannot seem to get even close to them... Maybe for the better." 

With the new information he felt a little better and more relaxed. The soft bounding motion was almost like being rocked to sleep as a baby. Only the excitement of being somewhere new and the fact he had just woke up didn't allow him to slip into a slumber. "Speåking of strängē crĕatures. Have yoü evĕr come across a creatüre like the one that ättacked Måsheenka? They lôøk likë cänimorphs bũt are nŏt. When I first saw them in Zwëzyr I thought they were ábused canimôrphs, būt I thĭnk they ăre somethĭng else entįrely." Yarnus went on to describe his experiences with the red-eyed beast and his plan to put it down like it was a crazed animal.  


Ultra listens silently only occasionally giving a flap of its wings as you speed through the strange place. Once you finish, it hums in thought, then clicks its teeth loudly before speaking.  
"I agree with your idea, and I might even know of the beast you describe. I have not seen it myself, but I have seen the place your train friend and the emerald pack have fought at. Its blood was splattered on the ground and trees. It should not be hard to track it down with my keen sense of smell. However, you have no reason to be afraid for the people of Tonrüka. The city is rightfully called 'impregnable' - it's fortifications and territorial army have been fending off Horshtockian armies for decades, a single beast, no matter how strong, would never be able to make its way in. Unless," Ultra grins, flapping its wings again, "it had the gift of flight."  
You feel the hold around you tighten, Ultra getting its wings at the ready. Instead of flapping its wings to stay afloat it lands on the ice layer, which instantly breaks off under you. The sudden pull of gravity getting a hold of you once again knocks the breath out of you for a moment. Ultra beats its wings hard to make up for the fall, looking around. Soon after it knocks its head into the ice above again and makes its way back up into the darkness.  
"We're about a third fourth of the way there now. I will have to drop you off in the woods, we cannot risk anybody seeing us together, for the sake of both of us..." 

Yarnus had heard of a thing some daring humans were fond of and he was pretty sure the sensation of repeatedly passing thru the ice barrier was similar to that of a roller coaster. Once he got his bearing back he turned to Ultra. "I understand. Honestly I’m glad Omegä isn’t wíth me eīther. The othër grāsslanders I’ve mĕt mistook him for a cāvedwëllėr at fìrst. It took â littlé whĭlë for those two tõ accept him. I’d hate to hăvė him deal with ān êntirē töwn of slightly panîcked grăsslandêrs." Ultra let out an amused yet not amused chuckle. "Masheenkä ànd I lēft thè chîldren īn a clèaring near thē town. Perhąps ĭf we seē the săme spōt I can follow thèir trail to town. If not that’s fîne,but I’d probably neĕd to rĕach the gates bĕforê nightfall, ōr lĭghts óut, whåtevĕr you call it here." Yarnus took advantage of the brief respite from gravity to wiggle a hand into the pack he had been sent with and fished out a whistle. For a moment he thought of giving it a try, but quickly remembered they probably didn’t want to attract attention of the creatures in the darkness.  
"How will I get back? Are you gŏing to ròam hėre òr return to your nest? If yōu plan ŏn goìng all thē wày bâck home I cøüld probably stay üp tø two níghts since Cométa wåsn’t feelįng well today." 

"Have no fear," Ultra caws, "I will keep close by, in case you needed a quick lift. I have my ways..." Instead of explaining Ultra once again crashes through the ice layer, the sudden weight twisting your marrow sickeningly. Ultra begins to slowly descend lower and lower, until you can clearly see the ground again. You watch your surroundings, familiar but hard to pinpoint, until Ultra gently comes down and flies between the trees. Its huge talons grab a tree trunk, slowly coming down until you're finally on the ground again. It seems like a common path, there are many fresh footprints in the snow. Ultra sets you on the ground and hands you the leather bag, which is a bit heavier than you expected. It stands up tall and looks around with its shiny yellow eyes, then turns the unfocused sight to you again.  
"I cannot bring you any closer, nor can I accompany you much longer. But I will be close by, keeping an eye on you." It jumps back into the treetops with a mighty flap of its wings, snowflakes flying up all around. "But please, do try not to warrant my presence. Stay safe train child."  
Before you can say goodbye the giant creature has disappeared in the treetops. You stare up after it, then look around. You see a milestone poking from the snow layer, telling you which way to go. The measure on it doesn't tell you much though, so you have no idea how long until you arrive in the city...  
Suddenly a sound of footsteps crunching in the snow catches your attention, before you can even make a step from where Ultra had put you down. You turn around, prepared to fight if needed. From behind the thick trees comes a rather familiar huge posture.  
The young female cave dweller stops the moment she raises her head and her eyes land on you. She's the same slave you freed just last night. Her wide eyes stare at you confusedly, her irises a yellowish brown colour. She still has the thick fur cover tightly held around her.  
She stares at you, confused, speechless.  


"I seĕ we meet àgâin." Yarnus gently smiles and nods his head. He's unsure if she saw Ultra just now or remembers it from the night before. If he is going to keep Ultras cover up he’s going to have to be careful with what he says. "Where I come from we dón't trēät slåves ás anîmals like thé Horshtôkians. I coŭldn't just ignore your treatment." Yarnus looks away towards the town. "Arē yõũ hėăding to Tønruka? Or to Zwézyr? Yoů may find Zwezyr hàs changed since thė fall of Equilibirįa."  


She can't seem to find her words at first, pointing at you and turning around the way she came. She looks back to you, her eyes squinted in confusion, then finally speaks with the typical thick accent.  
"Whrere-... howr-... howr did you gert hrere so farst?" she finally sputters out. "I warlked all nighrt withrout a breark!" She frowns in thought, then looks up to you again. You see a mix of amazement and a bit of fear in her eyes.  
"Are you... are you a grod? Or..." she lowers her voice to a whisper, "a dermon?" Her eyes shift away a moment, but she doesn't step back. She seems wary, but not scared.  


"I'm jůst fast." A sly smile spread across his skull. "I hāve my wàys of gètting around that are a bit… unconvèntional." He picked up the pack onto his shoulder. "I bëliéve my kįnd are călled ‘remĩnds’ or ‘õrìgons’. What that means to you I'm not sure." For a while he stares back at the cavedweller. Had she really been walking the entire night? He had no idea if that was impressive or a common trait of her kind.  
"I am Yărnus, the Great Justicíar," he gavė ą small sălŭte äcross his chest. "I'm not sure ĭf the peöplĕ of Tonruka woúld welcòme yøü, but yóû arë welcome to travel with me if you wïsh."  


She looks you up and down one more time, carefully and thoughtfully. Then, a smile of her jagged uneven teeth spreads across her face.  
"I've hreard strories abrout the lirkes of you." She comes closer, towering over you. She's easily as tall as Omega, maybe even more. Her scarred arm pokes from the fur cover as she offers you her hand, which you politely grasp. "My narme is Arghatra," she says, and you aren't sure if it's 'Aghata' or not through her accent. "Tharnk you for sravirng my lirfe. I'm arlso headred to Tronrüka, I hreard frorm the srlavers thrat mrany frolk runnring from Zwrezyr are threre. I mright be arble to frind my framirly..." She starts walking and you follow by her side, your new boots protecting your feet from the freezing snow well. "Who are you loorking for threre?"  
You don't have to walk too far to reach the end of the trees, finally able to see far and wide again. Down under the hill lays the city of Tonrüka, enormous clouds of smoke and steam emerging from it into the sky. The fortifications are made from the same black rock as the ones of Zwezyr, but unlike there, here the walls are straight and very well built. They are very tall, if you weren't standing on a hill over the town you would not be able to see much of anything inside. Huge houses built of dark wood and voidrock, more than a couple of wells with steam coming up constantly and many, many tents and other temporary shelters, just like you imagined a city of refuges would have. 

His soul sunk at the amount of refugees. All of them had been displaced because of him, because of Won. "I shoŭld have killed thąt bastărd whén I had the chance," he hissed between his teeth. The cavedweller looked down at him perplexed. She wasn't sure who he spoke of or just that it was off putting to hear that from someone who looked like a ‘child’. Yarnus simply pinched the bone between his eye sockets, "I hāve sõmè grāsslander friends herê, bŭt mainly I want to check on somė children I sent here àftèr we escapĕd from thē Horshtokĩäns. I'm not familiar with the town and I was afrāid thĕy mīght turn sõme of them away." He turned down requests to hear how he and children managed to escape. "Lêt them tell yoů whên we find thĕm," was his only defense.  
They started walking down hill towards the town. Yarnus kept his stories empty of select details. Just mentioning needing to rescue a friend and fellow ‘remind’ from Lady of Purpur. "My knowledgē of Horshtokians is limitëd. Làst nights fight was the fîrst time I've beėn ágaĭnst a fóur armed föe. Perhäps I cöuld find someone who coùld hêlp train me." Suddenly he stopped in his tracks. "You said yòu overheard things from thē slávers. Do yòu understand theìr lānguägè?"  


She nods bitterly. "I've beern ensrlaved for arlmost eirght years by therm, I pircked it up over tirme," she says, turning to you. "It's sirmirlar to the grassrlanders' speerch in a lot of wayrs. I nerver rlet on, to arvoid sorme work or breing arsked too marny querstions, but I'm prertty frluent in borth."  


"Sadly I knów nėither. Though I am pretty good ât picking úp the meaning of thíngs. Too bád I don't hąve the book I took frŏm yoür... fōrmėr ownėrs. I wäs cùrious at to what it wäs, but I cøúldn't read ït at all. Onė of the pictures was quìte dĭsturbing for sòmè reason." A shiver ran down his spine as her though about the be-speckled mans picture.  
He was pretty sure she probably didn't learn to read their language, just learned the verbal part. "What sõrt ôf busínèss wère those two involved wîth?" 

"Jerwerlerly, morstly," she says, and you have to hold yourself back not to burst out laughing at how she says the word. In her accent it sounds more like a tongue twister. "Dirgging grems and merltals, thren mraking arll kirnda erxpernsive thrings ourtta threm. Threy harve, well, hrad, a whorle burnch of srlaves in the mrines. Wronder whrat wirll harppen to threm now that threy're..." She looks at you, squinting her eyes. "I mrean you did krill threm, righrt? I can't irmagirne threm lertting you gert arway wirth thris, so you hrad to krill threm." She smiles, keeping her frown and exhaling through her nostrils. "I hrope it wars prainfurll." 

"Aye. They were not givèn a painless dèath." Yarnus looked away to keep from mentioning how they were killed. She didn't need to know it wasn't him that had ended their lives. "I'd lìke to thïnk that all peòplê havë redeemîng properties, but sø far nearly every Hŏrshtokíàn I'vë mēt seem tŏ lackíng în basĩc compassion." He kicked at the snow as they passed by another marker that had one less mark than the one before.  
"Só, Agatha... căn I call you that? That namĕ rēminds me of ä gémstone that your eyes remind me of..." Oh dear, that came out sounding more flirty than he wanted to sound. "Ah... whąt's family life like fõr 'dwëllers like yõůrself. I wăs in Zwezyr brīefly ánd don't remember seeíng many fąmilies."  
  


She smiles sadly, giving you a tired smile of her old eyes. "I wourldn't krnow... I'm jurst fairlry certrain thart I havern't corme ourt of a horle in the grounrd, heh..." She goes silent, looking away. "Hornesrlty, I harve no irdea if threres arnybordy threre for me, but it bearts freerzing to dreath out hrere in the srnow you krnow..."  
You look away, feeling a bit bad for asking now. before you can figure out a proper response you find yourself standing before the main gates of the town of Tonrüka.  
The gate is enormous, very well built and locked up tight. Up above is a small sort of niche-looking watch tower. As you stop before the gate, a horned head with a leather hat pokes through, looking down at you with cautious empty eyes.  
"Stůj! Kdo jste?!" Aghata leans to you.  
"Threy arsk who we are, as if it marttered," she grumbles. "I'm Arghrata, a runraway frormer srlave!"  
"Oh, you tell the tongue of cavedwellers! Who is your a friend? Are you ran away from Zwezir?" the grasslander above asks, their english a bit rusty.  


"I am Yarnus, a traveller. I was separated from some friends that have gone before me."  
"Přátelé?" The guard questions, tilting their head.  
"Twó grāsslanders sóme däys agö ąnd a group øf mixed children probăbly a twö nights ågò."  
The grasslander ponders for a moment and retreats into the tower. Neither of them can make out the words coming from deeper in the walls as Aghata looks down to him.  
"Ire throught your durnt knorw grassrlanders' speerch?"  
Yarnus simply shrugs, "It wàs à qüēstion. I just kĩnda gùëssĕd." For a while they stand in the cold before hearing strange noises from closer by the gate. 

Many unlockings later, a much smaller door opens on the giant gate before you. It looks very heavy as the grasslander opens it, huffing in strain, then smiles and motions you to come inside. He's a friendly but not very smart looking fella with a leather hat with flaps covering his earholes, his moose-like horns poking through. You come inside, a huge tent town opening before you, and he closes the door behind you.  
"Well-come!" he says, trying to pronounce as best as he can to impress you. A duo of grasslanders, this time armed with simple spears, approach you from the sides of the door, while another five stay aside but watch you cautiously, ready to fight should there be any problems. "We are need to... check! You! Check for... aah, weapons! Yes?"  
"I dorn't grot no wreaporns, I dorn't got northing at arll," Aghata growls as she lifts her arms to be searched. There's really not much to be searched through, she only has simple clothes and the fur cover on. The guard pats her on the shoulder and begins to push her forth into the campsite before she can say half a word. The other grasslander comes to you, looking down at you sternly.  
"Musíte hlásit všechny zbraně podle zákona naší výsosti Terezy Myrty Třetí," the grasslander says, "ty Vám potom budou zabaveny a vráceny jen pokud opustíte uprchlický tábor nebo dostanete výjimkové povolení." You stare up at the guard, unsure how to tell them you didn't understand a single word, until they just sigh, nodding over to the other guards.  
"Tenhle malý nerozumí naší řeči, můžeš sem přivést někoho kdo umí tou jejich hatmatilkou?"  
"Zavolej toho chlápka z Lučin, ten co vaří v jídelním stanu, eeh, jak se jmenuje..."  
"Myslíš Máju?" another guard from the group tries to help his collegue.  
"Jojo, přesně toho, umí mluvit asi pěti jazyky, koumák jeden."  
"Ty jo, fakt? Proč teda dělá u plotny?"  
"Má tam bráchu, jsou to velcí kámoši a nechtěj bejt jeden bez druhého."  
While their conversation goes on one of them runs off and you are left just standing there, waiting for what will happen. A while later he comes back and to your surprise and amazement, with him is a familiar tall figure of none other than Maiden. The moment he sees you his face brightens with a smile and he runs to you, all four arms spread wide.  
"Yarnus! I'm so glad to see you!" He grabs you and lifts you up into a tight embrace. The other guards look surprised, until he turns to them, still holding onto you.  
"Žádný strach, tohoto muže já znám a můžu se za něj i zaručit," he says with a wide smile. The guards shrug with amused smiles and leave you be.  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to skip translating for Grasslanders and Horshtockians. It's kind of fun to not know exactly what's being said and they are speaking actual languages so Google Translate can help you find out what is said.


	52. Friends on the Other Side

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Had to retcon Paspyarnus out of the story. Just the name!! Not the Justiciar himself. While that was his original OOC name his IC name was… something else. It was only mentioned once  
> Retcon lines from Chapter 20  
> “The only Papyrus I know of is a type of paper. So far I haven’t recognized any of the names you’re familiar with. Though I’m not sure what my birth name was. I took the name Yarnus when I left the Weavers.”  
> Omega smiles curiously as he wonders what Yarnus’ childhood name was.

"I àm so glâd tô see a familiar face. I had forgóttèn that your fellows spokĕ another languàgē." Yarnus returned the hug before being set down on his own. "I hope you ānd yōur brothēr arė well. I havė good news and bad. I foùnd Omėga ànd he ĭs safe with Māsheènka. Bût Tzacl and I were căptured by the Horshtokians. I was able to gët awåy with Masheenka, bũt Tzåcl is still captive." Yarnus looks around and realizes that he is once again surrounded by people who are much taller than him. He really missed having Omega with him to carry him around.  
"Havê yoů heård ôf a groüp of children, former sląves that came here? I rėscued them when I èscaped būt left them outsíde the city becausé of Masheenkā." 

Maiden covers his mouth in shock when you tell him about Tzacl, obviously shocked and afraid.  
"Oh dear, that's horrible! Do you know where he is? We have to save him!" He takes a hold of your hand and leads you into the campsite. All around are people of all kinds, shapes and sizes. Cavedwellers, Grasslanders, even a few Horshtockians, all standing around between the leather tents, wearing simple leather or cloth wear and holding wooden or tin mugs of soup. Maiden leads you through a huge queue until you reach the mess tent. A group of cooks is working behind a table, a huge cavedweller lady giving everybody in the line a portion of some red soup from an enormous pot.  
At a big stove you spot Snork, poking a huge chunk of ribs around grumpily. Once he sees Maiden approaching he smiles and once he spots you he smiles even wider.  
"oh hey there, yarnus! glad to see yer a'ight lill' man," he greets you, "where's yer men?"  
"Tzacl has been enslaved!" Maiden says before you even open your mouth to answer. Snork puts on a slightly upset frown.  
"well that's a bumm'r..."  
"Snork!!" Maiden barks, "we have to do something!" Snork looks up at him and shrugs.  
"look bro, i'm cookin' all day all night to feed all 'em hungry folk 'ere, what else ya want me to do?" He looks a bit upset. You notice he does look pretty worn and tired.  
Maiden takes a breath to speak, but no words come out. After a moment he sighs, looking to the ground sadly.  
"I know... forgive me brother, I just... you know..." Snork nods, humming. He then slices a chunk off of the meat and slaps it onto a tin plate, adding a big scoop of lentil slurry and handing it over to you.  
"'ehe. go visit ol' lady waffer. 'e'll wanna meet yarnus i'm sure," he says, giving Maiden a patient smile. Maiden smiles back, waiting for you to grab the offered plate before gently leading you out again.  
"see ya," Snork says before you lose sight of him between the many refuges again.  
Holding the warm grub you just follow Maiden, wondering who "old lady Waffer" could be. After a few minutes of navigating through the unevenly built tents you come to a big house built in the middle of the campsite. It's when you see the playground full of kids beside it do you understand, and before you even come to the door a joyous cry almost deafens you as an avalanche of children begin running towards you. Kids you don't even know are shouting your name, calling you "the train man", grabbing onto your legs and arms excitedly. You barely manage not to spill all the food on the ground before Maiden grabs it from you and you're dragged to the ground by at least a dozen of excited kids. From the avalanche of younglings you see Maiden giving the plate to a very old horshtockian lady standing at the door of the house, her posture trembling with age, dressed in worn out pink dress and leaning onto a cane. She puts the plate aside and makes her way slowly down the stairs, the kids running up to her and all at once telling her you're here. Adjusting her glasses she looks down at you, smiling warmly.  
"Aaah! So this is the little hero with a magical steam dog," she says, her voice sounding like squeaky floorboards. "I've heard more than I can even tell about you young man." Maiden comes beside her, gently putting a hand on her shoulder.  
"This is Hedwika Bjordeeva, our orphan house nanny."  
"Please, you may call me miss Waffer," she waves her hand, "all the kids call me so." 

For a moment he sits in shock on the ground. The feeling must have been worse for the children, escaping one horshtockian to be under the care of another. But this woman seemed to be a polar opposite from the horshtockians they had known. As he moved to stand, a firm arm helped him up. The horshtockian child stood a few inches taller than the short skeleton. They gave a wide smile and then ran off to play with a group of other children. This town was showing to be a much better place than his imagination had led him. Smoothing out his attire he approached the elderly caregiver.  
"Grĕetïngs Miss Waffér. I ām Yărnus the Grēat Jŭstìciar." He gave his normal gesture and bow. "I fĕlt guĭlty aboůt leăvïng the chîldren outside ôf town. We werē åfraíd my ‘stéàm dog’ might havé been a bit of a shōck tŏ the guards." He looked around the yard to see if all of them were accounted for. Some were here, but some were missing. The quiet ones were most likely inside away from the ruckus and the two older ones may have been elsewhere, being useful like Snork. "I trust they àll arrįved safely and are doíng well in your care. I can’t exprêss how grâtefùl I åm thât they are sâfĕ." 

The old lady stares at you with her toothless smile, but doesn't answer. You aren't even sure she heard what you said... Maiden comes to your aid, answering for her.  
"All eleven children have arrived here safely. Some have found their parents, the rest had searched for me according to what you've told them. I had brought them all to miss Waffer, where I believe they're well taken care of." He smiles at the old lady and she smiles back, laughing. Then she slowly begins to go back into the house, her whole body trembling. She must be the oldest looking person you've ever seen.  
You also notice other, bystanding folk, giving you curious looks and pointing to you, discussing your presence with others. It seems you have made a name for yourself here, not just among the children.  
Some of the kids still hang onto you, asking all kinds of questions and wanting you to play with them, but Maiden shushes them politely, asking them to leave you alone for a serious talk. The kids grumble and wail, but listen to him, waving their goodbye, some hugging you before going back to the playground. Once you're finally free of the tiny grasps, maiden looks at you with serious, worried eyes.  
"I'm sorry for interrupting you reunion," he says, rubbing his hands anxiously, "but I believe you have urgent matters to attend to... I will help you in any way I can. Do you know where Tzacl is?" 

"I do ánd it’s nøt gøod." Yarnus looks back at the children and gives a brief wave before gesturing to Maiden that they should go on a walk. Once they are away a good distance he explains. "The Lady of Purpür boůght him. From what I hávë learned she is vēry powerful ānd well guarded. I even saw fōr myself that shê hás sway over theîr mïlítąry." He fidgets with the strap of the backpack given to him. "I hàd hoped he would be äblê to escape by hîmself. But thë ‘tockiáns value strength and hâve magîc bindĕrs. I only escäped because I didn’t fight bâck and they ũndērestìmàtêd me. But still…." The stares and whispers were starting to get more and more noticeable as they walked. "I have foũght one ön one wįth a Horstokian soldìer. Therè’s no wåy I can rēscuė him by mysĕlf. I need help. It was even suggested that it would takē an éntire army to to free him and åny others that are part of her-," he stumbled for the right word."-harem? I’m not sůre what other word wóuld descrîbe... úm… sĕx slávés." Just saying those words sent a sickening feeling through his bones. 

Maiden stops, closing his eyes for a moment. You aren't sure if he's trying to cover up tears or if he is deep in thought, until he turns to you again, his eyes strangely serious, almost angry, and very determined.  
"Sunray Weaver," he says, and you get a bit taken aback by the sound of your childhood name coming from him. "I have said that I would be of any assistance, but it seems it shall be you who helps me." You don't know what to say, so you just stay silent as Maiden squats to be eye level with you "You are one of many, my friend. The Purple Devil has many of our friends and family in her filthy grasp. Not a single day comes by that a mother doesn't cry for her daughter at the Tree Spire, praying for her safety. Not a night that we don't shudder with the thought of the horrors of that place. Yet... it seems nobody is brave enough to raise against this injustice." He folds all four arms around his chest for comfort, shaking his head slowly in anger. "My people... they are not the bravest. They prefer the safety of this town to the risk of falling into slavery of the hornless. As for other residents currently residing here, they..." Maiden looks away, then sighs, looking to you. "They are not treated all too well here. To be able to stay, they must work hard, men, women, children and elders alike. Their daily food ration is measly at best, especially for such large beings. At every corner they are treated only to disgust and hatred. They aren't allowed outside of the refuge campsite. And at no circumstance are they allowed to carry weapons." He grabs your hand softly, holding onto it with three hands, the last gently cupping your chin. "Yet I know, coming together is our only chance to free our families. To let our voice be heard. We don't have to be slaves to the hornless ones no more. I already have formed connections, an alliance, with many strong and cunning folk of the campsite and outside of it. And you, you have already made a name for yourself, even the aristocracy of The Marble House talks about you. Yarnus... will you lead them with me?" 

Yarnus stood there confused for a moment. His concern for the children was warranted it seemed, but his surprize was with Maiden. He had imagined the more quiet spoken brother to be more passive and spiritually inclined. Not a leader of a sort of cultural rebellion. Slowly his raised his free hand and placed it on Maidens shoulder. "I can thįnk of no better way to redeėm myself thān tö be a part öf ą new erå. Helping to ûnitê thë pêople who mąke thís placè their home." A look of relief passed over Maidens face briefly as he stood and looked around. Yarnus followed his gaze and took in the sights of the makeshift tents and lodgings. These refugees would not be getting any stronger while eating rations. "I may be âble tō procúre weàpons for any that arĕ willįng to fight. Bùt befōré that they’ll nėed tö bé wėll fed. Is therê anyway we could gáthėr a hunting party to bring in more food?" A sly smile crossed his face, "I have a friend waiting før me outside the walls that ŏwĕs me a prôpĕr hunt." 

Maiden stares out into the campsite for a moment, then turns to you. "As I have told you, I have made my connections. I think it best to-"  
Suddenly he stops with a light gasp, then forces a nervous smile.  
"-and ever since then my uncle has not caught a single fish! Humorous, isn't it? Hahaha!" You shortly after notice a grasslander guard, passing by with a wooden mug of some hot beverage, looking at you a bit suspiciously. Maiden waits until he's out of hearing range before taking your hand with his slim fingers and leaning down to you to whisper quietly.  
"Let us move somewhere more private, shall we?" You just follow him.  
You go further through the stepped out streets, the snow turned into dark dirty slush all around. A strong smell of minerals is hanging in the air as you look up to see the tall columns of steam rising from further in the city. You go around another huge tent, to a wooden fence guarded by many grasslanders. Behind the wooden fence are buildings made of white stone and wood, cobblestone streets, richly dressed grasslanders walking around leisurely, a trio of young goons throwing stones over the fence at bypassing cavedwellers. Maiden shoots them an angry look and they get a little startled, just standing there in shock as you go by.  
After a bit more walking you come to a house that belongs to the rich city, yet isn't beyond the reach of the wooden fence. A wooden sign above the door implies this to be a tavern. Two older cavedwellers and a badly scarred horshtockian are sitting before on a bench, smoking some strangely shaped pipe and drinking from wooden mugs. Despite appearing indifferent to the cruelty of the world by age, they give you curious looks as you pass them, led by Maiden inside the building.  
Lively wouldn't be the word to describe this place. About twenty skeletal folk are sitting in huge chairs, better built for creatures the size of a cavedweller or a horshtockian than what you've seen so far. People of all three races are sitting around quietly, looking on constant guard. A single grasslander soldier is sitting on a padded stool by the entrance, looking around carefully, her hand firmly grasped around her spear.  
Once you and Maiden walk further in and get noticed, the mood changes. Everyone seems happy to see Maiden and even happier to see you. "Is that the Remind?" somebody whispers excitedly. "I've heard he single handedly killed a canimorph beast from Zwezyr." "They say he commands a giant creature of steel and steam - that's how he saved the children from Krakogröw..." "I almost can't believe he is real and here!"  
Maiden leads you to a circular table in the centre of the room, where two others are sitting, as if waiting this whole time just for you. An enormous horshtockian, easily the biggest one you've seen so far, with animal pelts around his shoulders and over his back and thick masterfully made armour made of some dark metal covering his chest. An image of a dragon head profile is on the front of it, a bit obscured by various battle damage. On his head is a thick helmet with thick black ridged ram horns curving by the sides and you notice a huge sword in a scabbard behind his belt. Strange, you remember Maiden saying weapons are forbidden for any refugees...  
The second is a much smaller, but somehow just as intimidating grasslander. He's thin and moves in a very slick and smooth way, a sly smile on his face, his eyes full of cunning intelligence. His horns are smooth and sharp, pointing slightly back, the end of his tail moving slightly. He's wearing only simple black leather armour around his arms and upper chest, black cloth bound around his abdomen twice, in a way so he may store his belongings in it. With your keen eye you notice the subtle outline of a some sort of flask and a dagger in it. When Maiden approaches they let him sit, the big horshtockian giving a slight nod to the door. The grasslander guard who sits there nods back, and the giant turns his intimidating gaze to you.  
"Hello comrades," Maiden greets them with a smile. "I'm happy to introduce you to my dear friend, Yarnus The Great Justiciar." He turns to you and gestures towards the Horshtockian. "Yarnus, this is Afnun, and this," he turns to the other fellow, "is Syflay. They're mercenaries, from Krakögrow and New Rotushko respectively."  
"Greetings," Syflay whispers in a soft voice. The Horshtockian merely nods his head at you, closing his eyes briefly.  
"And we," Maiden points all around the tavern with all four hands, and you now notice everybody is staring right at you, "are the Coalition of Unification." 

Raising a ruckus in greeting would not fare well with the secrecy they were keeping, still many a mug or leg of roast was raised before everyone settled back down to their whispers. "Greētings" Yarnus returned to the grasslander before returning the nod and closed eyes to Afnun. A part of him wondered if Hictor had any connection to this fellow. If so it might not be a pleasant one.  
"New Rotushkō? I had always heard õf ít called Zwezyr ŭnless I am wrong. I don’t remėmber sèeing ąny-" The sudden realization hit him before he could finish his question. "Of côũrsë, someønë like yöu wouldn’t havė been sĕen." This only earned him a slight smirk and a tiny twitch of his tail.  
The small skeleton steps towards a free chair at the table. Certainly not one built for his frame but close enough to the table for him to brace against it to lift himself to the seat. Not a very graceful maneuver, but at least not as ridiculous looking as trying to scramble up it like a child. There’s easily enough room to sit three of him side by side without touching and his feet dangle a good ways from the floor. Trying to regain some composure he intertwines his hands on the table and looks around. "Sø… how may I be assįstance to the Cōalition?" 

A few others move their chairs closer quietly, staring at you in awe. Maiden sits on a chair beside you and once more gives the guard by the door a questioning look, only resuming once she looks out of a small window beside the door and nods back.  
"Well, there are several things that you can be of great assistance with. The main of which is to convince The Marble House to aid us. Or at least give us permission to bear arms and hunt for our own consumption."  
Syflay leans in closer to Maiden slightly, his every move elegant and almost foreboding, as if he knew exactly what he was doing with every single slight movement.  
"My offer still stands Maiden. It would not be hard for me to... take care of the Marble Queen." Maiden shakes his head resolutely.  
"No, we cannot do that. To rid this land of The Marble House would be to rid it off Tonrüka, the only safe haven for refugees and former slaves alike." Syflay looks a bit disappointed, but obediently leans away and doesn't protest.  
"I believe we may be able to convince Tereza Myrta to at least allow us to prepare for our battle with the House of Purpur. Rumor has it she is very fond of Yarnus from what she had heard of his bravery and honor."  
"What if it's just that, a rumor?" Syflay says, "are we really going to endanger all of our efforts to hide our syndicate?"  
"I know, I have been thinking of all the possible outcomes for days now... and although I believe our chances to convince her have greatly rose with Yarnus's arrival. But perhaps, we shall prepare in case the queen decides against us. We need to arm ourselves, without the authorities knowing we are doing so."  
"There are no smithies in town, we don't even have any metal!" a grasslander with small goat horns sitting by exclaims.  
"Yes, I am aware. For that we have to find weapons elsewhere and bring them here..."  
"Hrow do we smurgrle wreaporns througrh the grate?" a cavedweller woman says in a rambunctious voice. Syflay grins, entangling his fingers.  
"That is no problem. An old underground tunnel leads from the forest right under our feet. If we keep silent, we are able to smuggle much of anything through it."  
"I'm afraid the problem is we may have nothing to smuggle through it," Maiden says. "I have connections with many hermits and small communities around Glasswöll, but none of those could provide us with weapons for nearly three hundred warriors..." 

"Thrèe hŭndred?" Yarnus breathlessly repeats the number. He hadn’t expected to be that many willing bodies in such a short amount of time. Or had this been planned for much longer than he was aware of. "I have allies at bõth Viølet Låboratøry and M Labòratory. Vĭolet’s may be clóser, but M is møre lįkely bettèr equippéd to handle a large amount óf weăpons." He tapped on his chestpiece. "They made this for me ĩn jûst â dąy. If I get word to them tŏnight they may bë ablë tō prövide wéapöns fŏr that mány in a few days." His words were considered around the table while some whispered questions about these ‘laboratories’ he spoke of.  
"As for this...leader. You sáy thăt yoů fear she woūld rétaliate ągåinst yôu. I have my õwn reasŏns fõr wanting tó help the refúgeés and my õwn reăsons to attack Purpur first. I would bé able tø truthfully speak only on my behalf without indicating that thĕre was already äny pląns made. If shë refuses mé then I wŏŭld be the ønly one punished if she felt it was necessary."  
"But Yarnus…" Maiden looked shocked and a little sad at the thought of his failure.  
"I havé à feeling she woūld súppòrt whăt I propõse to hér. A leáder in her positĭŏn should be lookįng ways to relîevê thē dêmănds of hosting additiônal people ánd I cän offer a wäy for her to do that withóut using her own resoůrcės. All I have to ask for ïs völûnteèrs from among thë rėfùgees. If we are sūccessful, we retŭrn wīth missîng loved onés. If we faîl…well that’s less réfũgees to harbór." It was a sad truth, but one that could not be ignored.  
"Smůggling wéapons in I think ìs a bad idea. If I wérē a leădĕr who found someone was wìllfùlly acting to sabotąge myself or my peøplē ... " Yarnus couldn’t help to feel his magic rise to his eyes and glance across the table at the mercenaries. "I would not hėsitatè to ēxĕcŭⱦe them." His eyes were now scanning the two strangers. While he trusted his friend, he still felt the sting of Won’s betrayal and swore he’d not allow someone to use him again. This Syflay reminded him a lot of Tzacl, but also a little too much like Won. 

You scan Syflay first, just because he look more untrustworthy in your eyes. Looking through his soul, you see much secrecy, cunning wits and greed. He is no doubt strongly motivated by money. But, somewhere under that, you see something more than that. It seems he sees Maiden as a respectable leader, someone he would fight for to the last breath, which honestly sort of surprises you. It also seems he is very angry with the Lady of Purpur, even thinking about tainting her meal with a painful and potent poison as you are scanning him, unaware you see every bit of his debatably cruel thought.  
A little relieved you turn your eyes to the other mercenary, Afnun. His face hadn't told you even a single thing since you've met, his stern look and silence keeping his thoughts a mystery to you. Once you turn your vision to him, you're met with another surprise. Afnun's heart is pure and noble and his mind is filled with knowledge. He is not the most intelligent, but he has experience far exceeding yours or anybody elses in the room. As you scan him he looks at you and you clearly see his thought of how cute you look and a slight worry that you aren't made to battle.  
The group seems ecstatic that you are able to provide them with weaponry. When you raise your worry Maiden nods thoughtfully.  
"Hmm... you speak wisely dear friend. I suppose our arming can wait until we know whenever the queen will stand in our way or not."  
"What if she does?" Syflay whispers. Maiden looks at him silently for a moment not even speaking a word before closing his eyes and nodding slightly. Syflay grins wider, narrowing his eyes. "I see, so then I have your blessing to do what I do best, correct?" Maiden only nods further.  
"Yes... but before we come down to any drastic measures, it will be best to do as Yarnus says." He looks to you. "Should anybody go with you, Sun child? Perhaps I may lead you around and translate for you if it's ever needed." 

His magic subsides and he considers the information he had gained. "I probably do need a translator and a guide, bût if yõu are trúly worried äbout the qůeen then it might not be wise tø gø together. I know nothìng ōf her tēmperamĕnt should she become upset." Yarnus didn't need his magic sight to see the disappointment in Maidens eyes. "I wïll leave that dēcisĭon to your best judgemènt." Maiden simply nods as if he had already made a decision.  
"What rēally worrĩes me," Yarnus continues. "If say, sõmethĭng happened, to the Queén…" his gaze flicked between Maiden and Syflay. "How woüld thē populące react? Who would be next ín line? Zywzer did nôt faìr well whēn it's leàder wās réplaced." Yellow tinged his skull with a mix of embarrassment and hatred of Won. If this Queen was a decent leader it would be better for her to live than to destabilize what seemed to be the only town capable of accepting all the races. Sure, it wasn't fair right now, but it had opportunity to improve. 

"Next in line is her son, the Marble Prince Jaason," Maiden informs you. "He is... well, not a very good leader. He's very thoughtless, so he'd probably let the counsel lead instead."  
"He's a complete tool," the guard by the door raises her voice. "All he cares about is food and amusement." Maiden nods at her words.  
"I'm afraid such a leader would not do well here in Glasswöll. The Horshtockian armada would soon take the city by force." He sighs. "The Queen might not be the kindest, but in a way, that's required to survive here. She leads her army with great respect, which wards off the attacking hordes. We can't afford to have her killed, we would have the blood of many on our hands..."  
"I think you would do swell as a leader," a grasslander sitting by says towards Maiden. A couple of cavedwellers by the same table nod their head agreeingly. Maiden smiles but shakes his head.  
"I could not, dear friends."  
"Whry nort?" a cavedweller asks from the other side. Maiden turns to her but doesn't answer, just shifts his eyes away.  
"We mustn't kill her highness. I think as long as we're civil with her she'll let us fight for our families. If not, perhaps we could give her some of the provisions we may achieve from defeating the place. Yarnus is right, she has nothing to lose but much to gain. I'm sure she will listen to reason..."  
He stands up, offering you a helping hand.  
"I will lead you to the Marble House. Once there, we shall make the needed decisions."  
From behind you you hear a low grumbling voice. You don't catch it fully, but you understand what it meant. A cavedweller is doubting Maiden, for he is 'one of them' and has nothing to fear should this plan go badly. Maiden doesn't seem to have noticed however. 

"I agrée. Fùrthër instabilíty woŭld not bē goôd for anyone." Yarnus accepts the offered hand and dismounts from the tall chair with more grace than he had mounting it. Looking across the table Syflay was successful in hiding his disappointment from Maiden, but to Yarnus is was fairly clear the assassin was annoyed. "I'm súre Syflays talents will be put to bĕtter use agàīnst Làdy ōf Pürpur and any clear enemies of thè Coalitĭøn."  
"It has beėn a pleâsure mèetĩng yöu all" he glances around the room taking in the mixture of people in the room before returning his sights to the table. "I höpe I can rèturn with goød news and to be able aid yoŭr endeavors fully." With that he allowed himself to be guided out by Maiden into the richer district. For a while he walked in silence, listening to Maiden pointing out sites of interest. Yarnus came to a sudden stop. "What is the matter Sun-Child?" The grasslander looked around a bit nervously.  
"My pack. I forgōt tò give out thè presĕnts to the chīldrèn. Thoūgh I'm not sure what's all in herė. Cometa only said she'd give mē some trinkets."  
"Haa-he-he" Maiden let out a long breath with a laugh. "Is that all? For a moment I thought you sensed some danger."  
"Wëll íf yóûr queen doĕsn't have å sènse õf humor she might get offėnded if øffered hĕr a băg full ōf whistles and tøys. Hŏw aboŭt we stóp somewhere ând take a lòok at what they sent wĩth me?" 

Maiden merely nods, gently holding your hand and leading you to the side of the beautifully built street.  
You sit on a bench under a huge white house with balconies, ornate pillars supporting its sides. Everything here in the richer part of town is built with such beauty and finesse, a huge contrast to the dirty refugee campsite.  
You open the bag to find it full of all kinds of toys. There are simple wooden ones with carefully rounded edges for the smaller kids, then much more sophisticated and complicated ones, most of them operated by a simple flywheel. in a small envelope you find a note from the forge workers. Say hi to the kids! is written there, by the looks of the neat handwriting probably by Bolfur, under which all the engineers are signed. How sweet.  
Among the items you find something else, not quite fitting in with the rest of the toys. A round object made of gold, attached to a small chain. Taking it out you find it to be a golden watch with a closable lid. Opening it another smaller note falls out. You unfold it to find a short message from Cometa.  
Yarnus,  
if you happen to meet the Ruler of Tonrüka, whoever it may be now, do an old lizard a favour and give them this.  
They will know what it means.  
Best of luck on your travels,  
Cometa  
  
On the inside of the lid is an edged writing. "Time is ticking."  
Maiden watches you inspect the items, then raises his head to you.  
"What does this mean?" he asks. You shake your head, not knowing the answer.  
Maiden looks over the items the pack had contained, even taking some out and inspecting them. He holds a shiny metal beetle in his fingers, then looks to you with a light smile.  
"Perhaps it would do our cause good were you to present these items to the queen. You are, after all, known among the Marble House mostly for your feat of saving the children from Krakogröw." 

Yarnus inspects the locket a bit, it’s engraving seems a bit ominous, but truthfully what wasn’t anymore. He carefully placed it in one of the pouches in the pack. "Well timê ìs tĭckĭng fór our friēnd and any hungry belliés won’t be feëd whíle wait. We shoũld seĕ âbout gaîning audiencė wïth the Queen âs sŏón âs possĩble." He shouldered the pack once more and they set off towards their destination. The brightness of the buildings were a complete opposite of the void rock of Zywezer. It made him wonder what the town looked like at night. The drastic change of lighting would probably be a bit unsettling. They walking until they came to a place not just made of common white stone, but of marble. 


	53. The Marble House, the house made of marble. That is to say...

  


The Marble House towers before you, a tall building made of marble and gold. Heavily armed grasslander soldiers stand before the grand entrance among the ornate pillars, watching you and Maiden carefully as you approach. Maiden bows to them and gently directs you with his arms to do the same. As you pass by the guards and through the entrance, you come to a long hall, lined with more guards in shining gold armour. A man clothed in rich robes stands by the end of it, his face very serious. As Maiden approaches he raises his face, looking very important and posh.   
"Přejete si?" he asks. Maiden bows again, then begins to talk in his language. The man looks at him indifferently, then nods. After a short exchange of questions the man writes something down, then gestures towards two guards who come to lead you further.   
You're led deeper into the giant building, through more halls filled with more guards. They really don't spare a penny on security here it seems. After a bit of walking over the marble floor you come to an enormous hall, a small geyser in the middle of a center fountain spreading steam and the heavy smell of minerals around. At the other end of the hall is a grand throne, very similar to the one you saw in the Zwezyr throne room.   
Maiden urges you to bow as you walk forward toward it, trying to look humbled by even being allowed to be here. You pass the spring fountain and see the queen, an old grasslander woman with grand tall deer antlers, decorated by gold and precious stones. She wears a white robe, sitting upright at the throne, her eyes old but very serious. She truly looks very royal.   
Next to her throne are two smaller thrones, each on one side. One is empty, in the other sits a beautiful young grasslander dressed in a similar white robe. The shape of his face, his decorated antlers, the way he moves... there's a kind of soft gracious beauty emanating from him. He looks a bit bored though, his chin leaning on one of his hands, staring off to the side. When you approach he looks to you and you see a bit of surprise and sudden interest in his face.   
Once you stop under the steps to the throne, you bow one more time, finally allowed to stand upright. The queen gestures with her hand, allowing you to speak. Maiden begins to introduce you in their language, the queen listening with slight interest now, the prince staring at you with... slight amusement? After a while Maiden turns to you whispering carefully.   
"I have introduced you as the remind who has saved the children from Krakogröw. I shall translate for you and the queen. You may speak." 

"Greètings Yoũr Majêsty" he begins with a salute across his chestplate."My name is Yarnüs, thë Gréát Justicįar of the High Courts ŏf King Jarl the Mighty, and hís Regent." He stressed the last two words and hoped that Maiden could translate it properly. "It was my pleàsûrè tö retûrn the children of yoür sùbjects and I am glad tó see you given shelter within your wàlls to the others whom havĕ bēen displaced." While he waited for Maidens translation he watched their reactions. The princes stare was quite noticeable and a little bit uncomfortable so he concentrated his gaze at the queen. "I would lîke tö offer my aid in managing the increased númbers of refugeės. In my lānds ït was quite cömmon to receive a large númber of rêfugĕes wìth lìttle wárnįng. I am well awarė of the stràin thēy can have on resources and the well bèing of a tòwn." Yarnus paused for the translation and was rewarded with a look of consideration from the queen. His next words would be the most crucial, "In réturn I ask for yøur armys assįstånce with a râid on a Hŏrshtôkian slave ownér. A dear companīon of minë was captured alongsīde mė and taken oútsidė of Krākogröw. I’ve been told it wŏuld bè a suïcide missiōn or ąt least take ån entire army to free him." Yarnus could feel the emotions boiling up just thinking about what was happening to Tzacl. Judging by Maidens voice the grasslander felt much the same.   
"I understand this is much tô ask fŏr. But I bélieve many of the the refugèes woŭld be willing tŏ join your àrmy for a chancē to free theìr loved ônes." Yarnus paused only briefly for the translation before adding the end piece with a little more force than he would have.   
"I wīsħ to lëad an attāck òn the Lady of Purpur!" 

Maiden finishes your speech at it goes silent, only the bubbling of the hot springs audible in the large throne room. The queen stares you down for a long while, the leans back for a moment, closing her eyes in thought. A light hum escapes her, then she opens her empty eyes once again, staring at you. Slowly, she stands up tall, with much more finesse and grace than you would expect from such an old lady. The prince is a little bewildered at this, looking between you and her with an amused smile. It's probably the first interesting thing to happen around here in a long time.   
The queen steps at the very end of the platform, just above the flight of stairs, the gold on her horns shimmering in the light coming through the partially open ceiling. Then she speaks, much to your surprise, in your language.   
"You are not the first one to ask for the help of the Marble army, Justiciar. Many before you have come to me, mothers and fathers, begging for the life of their children. Yet, I have not built this city on foolish acts of heroism. No, my city, my people, they are safe thanks to the caution and vigilance of me and my ancestors before me." Even with your attention fixated upon her, you notice the prince rolling his eyes at this, reverting back to his bored expression. "Tell me then," the queen resumes, "we have not gone to aid our own kind in peril, so why should we aid the kinds of you?" 

Yarnus nods solemnly, "I do understand. I do not wish endănger yōŭr cïty. It is the ônly beacon ōf hope that these lands have. Bůt my păth càn nōt rĕst herĕ. Not while I know now that my friend and others are subject to such cruel treatmênt. Thė fall of Purpür may not énd all such atrøcitìes, but ít would bê à stārt." The queens gaze is unchanging as Yarnus contemplates how to win her over. "I dõ not ask for your full suppört. I only ask thât yŏu let mē lead any vŏlunteèrs that wish to partăke ŏf this dąngeröus venture. A chancė at glory or a noble death is what sømè may prefer ovèr life without thèĩr loved ones." He drops the pack to the floor and fishes out the locket to present to the queen. Before he can step forward guards flank him on both sides. Slowly he hands over the locket to them and also the whole pack. Noticing no hint of harm the queen waves the guards away while the locket is brought to her.   
"Unlíke the othèrs rēquèsting yoũr aįd, I do sø withøut dependence. I hāve āllied wïth the M Laboratories and helpêd re-establish the Viōlet Lábs. Weåpons and other tools I have āccess tö. I only lack įnførmătion änd manpõwër to defèät Pûrpur. Shōuld I fail… yøu would only be missĭng a few hŭndrēd lĕss refũgees to fëêd. When I return with yöur peoples families and othēr spoils… you’ll be hailēd as a grêat leader whò supported ūs." Yarnus looked up hopefully before letting his smile drop "...oɌ as tħe leader who did ȵothing." 

The queen is silent, looking at you with eyes squinted, obviously not liking your last remark. The guard scales the stairs and bows, bringing her the watch, which she gently takes a hold of. As she looks at them closely her frown drops, her mouth opening slightly at the sight of the writing inside. She stares at the golden item, then turns around, her robe flowing with grace as she comes back to sit on her throne. Once she is turned to you again you see she's deep in thought, taking another look on the watch. she closes her eyes again, sighing and rubbing her temples with her two free hands, before she finally looks to you.   
"Tonrüka's refugees are plenty after the fall of Zwezyr. I suppose it would not be of our concern should you all decide to give your life away to a foolish heroic attempt. I will allow you to collect forces among them..." She sits up higher and folds one pair of arms. "But do not try to fool me, Remind. While I shall grant you the permission to arm yourself, I will not hesitate to have you all executed, no matter your race, should you even think to overthrow me. Should your followers violate our laws, the deal is forfeit." She calms down from her stern look for a moment. "You may use the safety of the refugee camp, for as long as you're within these walls, I am bound by the will of my ancestry to protect you. I shall, for this time, free all your volunteers from labor, and allow you to build and find your own resources." She waves her hand at you dismissively. "Now begone." Guards approach to lead you out while she lifts the watch to stare at its message once again.   
You're led back into the halls through which you came in earlier, but this time stopped by a group of richly clothed grasslanders, writing something on a finely made piece of parchment. They finish writing and hand you the illegible document with a red seal attached. A permit to collect volunteers it seems.   
Soon you find yourself outside and to your surprise a number of grasslanders are collected there, staring at you with wide hopeful eyes. It seems like they're awaiting something, perhaps a verdict. Finally, one of them speaks in their language. Maiden smiles back and nods slightly.   
The square erupts in joyous cheering, the hundred or so grasslanders throwing their arms up and hugging one another. The guards around are a bit cautious, maybe even irked, but so far just watch the situation from their posts carefully.   
"Ahahah..." Maiden laughs, a bit nervous, "word sure spreads around here fast, doesn't it?" He smiles, this time genuinely. "Wonder if the refugee camp knows already." 

"You’d havé to têll mé…" he said under his breath before raising a hand. "Actûally døn’t. If I were in hër position I woũld be jûst âs strict ŏn laws. Let’s go and start recrúïtîng for ôur march øn Purpur." Maiden and Yarnus descended the stairs and passed through the crowd of well-wishers. He didn’t understand what was said for the most part, but the smiles and hugs spoke well enough. It was a little unnerving to have so many hands touching him, but he did notice his belt pouches becoming a little heavier as they made their way through. By the time they got to the tavern it was pretty obvious how fast information spread. The sounds of celebration could be heard from across the street.   
Syflay was outside, leaning against the wall seemingly engrossed in the dissection of a leg of roasted something. Probably avoided the volume of the patrons inside.   
"So, not this time." he spoke quietly, not even pausing to look up.   
"Not for a long time." Maiden replied facing away.   
Yarnus just looked a little confused for a little bit but understood what what referred to. Yarnus had no intention of overthrowing the queen. From his perspective she was doing a damn fine job. If anything he wanted to succeed to prove himself to her. She would be a much needed ally if he wanted to ever get his revenge on Won. But first he needed to rescue Tzacl. 

Syflay smirks slightly, finally lifting his head up to look at you with his sly empty eyes... and for a moment, it feels as though there's something shimmering in them. Before you can focus on it the door of the tavern flies open and a bunch of overjoyed giants burst through, overtaking you and Maiden like a tsunami of hugs. Your skull is showered with a bunch of kisses smelling of alcohol and burnt meat, the huge cavedweller teeth almost a little painful against your bone. After a few minutes you're lifted above along with Maiden and they carry you inside, rambunctious as ever. After sitting you down and giving you one last hurray the noise finally subsides. Afnun is sitting on the very same chair in the very same position as when you left, the very same expression on his scarred face.   
The tavern, now much more full than before, sits around you as close as they can but still giving you enough room to regain your posture after the rough welcomes.   
Maiden takes the word, standing up with a smile, his arms neatly folded.   
"As you all may know, we have gotten the permission of the queen to take Purpur by force." The tavern cheers joyfully again. "Yes, so, she had enabled us to collect forces, make our own food and arm ourselves." Another cheer shakes the lantern above the table. "But," Maiden says with one finger in the air, "we are still bound by the laws of this city. And in our fight, she shall not aid us..."   
After a moment of silence, a rough female voice breaks it.   
"So whrat?!" You notice the owner of the voice, and recognize Aghata, the cavedweller slave you have freed. "WE CARN DO IT ARLL OURSERLVERLS!"   
The tavern becomes just as rambunctious as before, you and Maiden not being able to do much about it but endure it, until it finally dies down again. Maiden smiles patiently, then resumes.   
"I agree. But for now, we have much planning to do..."   
With that, you all sit down, and Syflay brings a huge paper, the map of Glasswöll. You can now clearly see what before was only a vague idea.   
Tonrüka lays under the mountains, in the bend of a river. The House of Purpur is "north" of it, further down the river, yet somehow higher than Tonrüka. Perhaps the river flows upstream? It's very well possible here. Purpurs is on a high plateau, huge and very well fortified with high walls. On the front are two towers with catapults, on the back the tip of the mountain. While the back doesn't have as much defense, the mountain tip is almost unscaleable, so an attack from this side would be most difficult.   
The stronghold itself is a huge site of Horshtockian barracks, the sole House of Purpur with all its slaves being the centre. It's a huge building, almost more of a fort, with its own guard and military system.   
After Syflay explains this all to you, the mood in the tavern get a bit less joyous. The previously zealous men are now looking a bit hesitant. Maiden, feeling this change in mood, hides the map away and looks to you.   
"But first, we shall get food. Then weapons and armour. Then we shall decide how to attack and how to win. " 

Yarnus had been standing on a chair to at least be seen among the crowd. "Yes. I'd likè to gather ą hūntīng party as sôon as possĩblê. We'll neėd those who know the arëâ änd othérs with strength to cąrry back our catch. I'll âlso try to reach my cøntact for the laboratøry whïle out and nėed a few that I can trust with thèįr secret." His eyes scanned the room and gave a wink towards Aghata. Her eyes diverted down into her mug as a neighboring fellow gave her a friendly nudge.   
"Màīdèn. You know morē äboût these folks ánd the area than me. I'll leäve it to you tõ choose who tõ tākë on our fîrst outĭng." With that he hopped down and started making his way through the mixed crowd of people who were all quite taller than himself. Aghata didn't even see him coming before he tugged at her arm. "I need to tālk to yøu…alóne."   
"Agh.. sure.."   
Together they stepped outside away from the hustle and bustle of the tavern.   
"Loork… ire unnow whart…" Yarnus interrupted her before she could say much more.   
"I broùght you out hêre tö find oút what yôu remember about the night we met and what yoú may have tôld õthĕrs. Thāt's äll." 

She looks at you with slight surprise, then her brown eyes shift aside. She appears deep in thought.   
"Werll..." she utters after a moment, "it wars... very chraortic. I rememrber my orwners surdennrly screamring bloordy murder arnd..." She puts a hand on her head. "Threy krept screamring abourt a dermorn, but I courln't trurn arounrd to sree proprerly. Threre wars... wreird srounds, lirke frlappirng of wrings and..." She goes silent, her eyes going a bit wide. She looks to you with fear, which slowly subsides as she stares at you, her hand previously on her head shifting onto her chest. "You sraved me... whrile threy froughrt. Threre hrad to be... sromethring erlse orther thran you."   
She stays silent for a while, then looks around catiously if anybody is listening. "I trusrt you, Yarnurs. And I worn't terll a sourl. But..." She leans in close, her face full of small scars and wrinkles from years of slavery. "I warnt to krnow. Whrat wars thrat?" 

"A frĩend. One thât wants tò rėmain a mystery." Yarnus lowers his voice "I want you to comé with me ŏn the hūntíng trip. I wòuld gõ alõne tõ meĕt with them but it wôuldn’t bë exactly sāfë fŏr me tò wander off on my own. Thèy may be willing to äpproåch the two of us. Yoú've mēt them in ă wáy ălready so it mìght be lėss of a shock."   
Understanding that she wouldn’t get the answer just yet she nodded. "It wars my plarn ta joirn the hurnt anrywarys. And I’rll keerp my mourth shurt." Aghata added a motion across her mouth and a wink.   
"Thât’s grëät. I do hope you’ll meét them." Yarnus was smiling now, glad that there wasn’t much being spread around about Ultra. "Wê should get insidĕ änd get you signed up."   
Back in the tavern there was boisterous talk again as groups of grasslanders waved their arms bragging about the size and the fighting spirit of their prey. Some spoke in the common language while the more energetic discussions flew by in their native tongue.   
"Yarnus!" Maiden waved him over as soon as he stepped in the door. "We have many volunteers for tonight. Should we add your friend as well?"   
"Yes. Aghąta will be āccōmpanying me." Yarnus approached the table with Afnun sitting in the same spot with basically the same expression, perhaps with the tiniest hint of a smile in his eyes. "Is thêre a copy óf the map of Pūrpůrs? I wąnt to send įt ąlong wíth a note tö M Laboratóriės. Perhâps onē ŏf thém wøuld be âble to add some īnsïght ās to hōw we should gò aboüt thîngs."   
A lean grasslander approached with a small scroll of paper and a feather made of polished black stone. Yarnus puzzled over the object before noting that it resembled a quill and it seemed to leave behind a decent mark on the paper.   
There wasn’t really many spaces in the tavern that wasn’t filled with patrons bumping into each others. The only space that seemed avoided was around Afnun. Most likely to do his race as well as his outward demeanour. It was a perfect spot for a bit of peace so Yarnus pushed a nearby chair up to his side and sat himself down to write.   
  
Dear Cometa,   
The children have been reunited with their families as much as possible, the remaining ones have been looked after by some friends of mine. I’m afraid not all is well Tonrüka. Many of the refugees are restless within the queen’s walls and a good number have already started making plans to move against the lady of Purpur. Thanks to your gift I have convinced the Queen to allow the refugees to gather a force of their own. We estimate at least 300 are willing to march, maybe more, but the queen will not aid them with weapons or armor, nor even the metal to produce their own. I hope that your metalworks would be able to help supply them.   
I regret that I will not be able to return to see Masheenka wake up. I’m afraid I haven't made a good impression on the queen and do not want to raise her ire by leaving and entering seemingly as I please.   
  
I hope to be able to return your generosity that you have shown us soon.   
  
-Yarnus the Great Justiciar   


You finish writing, placing the stone quill aside and silently reading the letter back to yourself to see if you have made any mistakes. When you're done, glad to not have to make any corrections, you look up and meet with Afnuns eyes. It seems he had read over your shoulder, but you don't even realize that at first with the sight of his empty eyes. Just like with Syflay a short while ago, you notice something in the darkness of his eye sockets. Then he looks away calmly, slowly getting up from the chair he has been sitting in for what seemed like hours. His tail, a bit long for a Horshtockian, slips through the wooden beams of the chair and he stretches subtly before turning to you again.   
"Afnun weell help hunt. Leetle Reemind needs protection against weeldernes." His voice is rough but not as deep as you'd expect. He raises an enormous hand, covered in a metal gauntlet. "Many deemons roam woods at night. Not smart to go alone..."   
With that he walks past you, his every step shaking the wooden floor, and comes to Maiden along with the other volunteers for the hunting party.   



	54. Ze hunt!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's been a YEAR! I didn't notice with the last chapter but Sunray Weaver is a year old!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sunray Weaver and Isle of Monsters Discord server! https://discord.gg/jW3NYyN  
> I’ve made a Discord server for all things Yarnus. It was created because I want to RP and explore ideas from Yarnus homelands before he was dragged into The Void where Sunray Weaver takes place.
> 
> Feel free to drop in and lurk, or ask questions, or even RP. I would love to host a RP weekend. I’m working on the logistics of it and would love some input. Tumblr RP intrigues me, but I just prefer chatroom type text to reblogging posts.

  
  


After a while the tavern starts to empty up, the volunteers going out to be properly counted and assigned the few weapons they have. Some are illegal smuggled weapons, but there's a few generously donated by the people of Tonrüka. About two dozen skeletal creatures, all races, ages and genders, are standing around, patting one another over the back joyfully. There are many more volunteers itching to go hunting, but the lack of weapons doesn't allow them all to come. Maiden had picked the ones in the best condition to hunt.  
As you look over them standing around in the snowy mud of the campsite, Maiden comes to you with a paper and a black quill, smiling brightly.  
"We have twenty six hunters, ready for orders. I would advise you to break them into smaller groups, so we may increase our chances of good catches. We have four very good hunters among them, skilled in tracking prey." 

"Good. Each hunter should chòóse leäd a groûp øf…" he paused and made some calculations on his fingerbones.  
"Five’r Srix" Aghata whispered out of the side of her mouth.  
"..five ór sïx pėr huntër! You know these lands best, jüst let eāch group know wherĕ yoü are headĩng sò there’s no confusîon. I’ll leąd a small group wĩth Aghatà ànd any that don’t have a groùp."  
"I go with leedle leeader." A heavy gauntlet lands on Yarnus shoulder surprising both him and the former slave next to him. Yarnus may know that Afnun wasn’t like the horshtockians but that didn’t help Aghata any.  
"... ánd Afnün." Yarnus added with a nervous smile. His main worry was how to keep Afnun from attacking a certain ‘demon’.  
All the volunteers paired up with the hunters evenly leaving only the two with Yarnus. Maiden was already distracted with papers and other planning being brought to him. He was definitely needed here more.  
"We’ll all go ŏut togèther and then separăte into oŭr teams. Once I’ve spokėn with my contact we’ll join up with thĕ closest grøüp for the rëmàinder öf the hunt. Is evĕryone set?"  
The group made their way to the wall and were met with mixed reactions from the guards. Maiden traveled with them to that point to hand over the paperwork showing that the group had the queen's permission to hunt. After that they made their way to the forests edge before splitting up. 

The groups all wish each other luck before dispersing, some singing on their way. You, Aghata, Afnun and two grasslanders which don't speak your language get on your own way, straight up and between the mountains. The two grasslanders seem ecstatic, chatting among them excitedly. Afnun looks just as indifferent and calm, while Aghata doesn't seem too thrilled to be in group with him. She eyes his suspiciously, then looks away once he looks her way. For a while it's silent, only the snow crunching under your feet and the two grasslanders chatting in their strange language.  
"Afnun is not like dat," the Horshtockian says. Both you and Aghata look at him questioningly. Afnun doesn't look at either of you, continuing to step through the deep snow, until Aghata speaks up with a bit of a sassy tone.  
"You tarlkin' to me?"  
"Ye, cavedweller geerl." He finally turns his gaze to her. "Afnuns knows your pain. But Afnun doesn't aproove of way you were treeted by Afnun's peeple." Aghata rolls her eyes, mumbling something under her breath. "Is understandable you do not trust Horshtockian. Dat is okey. But Afnun meens you no harm and weell protect you."  
Aghata stays silent, frowning, her arms tightly folded. The situation stays awkwardly quiet, even the two grasslanders stopping their banter.  
After about an hour the sky dims and the snowfall ceases for once. The grasslanders make simple torches with which to light the way, but Afnun keeps ahead, out of the range of the light, closely watching the ground. Aghata stays by your side, looking a bit worried.  
Suddenly, Afnun stops, his head high in alert, letting you catch up. When you to he silently motions you to come closer. As you do, he leans down to your level to whisper.  
"Theer's a group of olen ahed, good prey. But... something is abov us. Something beeg. Could be deemon." 

There is only one large flying thing Yarnus is aware of in the area and now he’s sure that Ultra is following them. Looking up at Afnun he see’s that spark in his eyes briefly before the large fellow looks away. Perhaps he and Syflay have a bit of remind in them, either that or he had never really noticed the small, if any, amount of magic that the codelings possess.  
"Whát yôu said back therè. I know it’s trûe. But give the girl sōme space. She’s sufféréd long ànd hasn’t sêen but a few days of freëdōm."  
Afnun turns his gaze from the sky towards the others of the group. Aghata is chatting with the grasslanders as well as she can. They are even helping her by speaking slowly and trying to teach her a few words. It’s hard to tell what the big fellow is thinking but after a while he nods. "Afnun weell protect heer. Efen from deemon"  
"Yeáh… aboũt that." Yarnus hesitated telling another person about Ultra. "I havĕ met some creatures in my trâvels. Some that you’d consįder demöns. Bút some åre likĕ you Afnun, not as scâry as thĕy look." Yarnus placed his hand on one of the others arm. "Will yoũ promisė to nót âttack īf I command ït?" 

A light rustle of the branches above makes Afnun turn his eyes there again, a bit of snow falling down from there. He stays silent for a while, squinting his eyes and humming in thought.  
"Is not wise to deel with deemon..." Then he looks to you and closes his eyes, half nodding and half bowing his head to you. "But Meiden trusts leetle skeleeton. Afnun trusts Meiden. Afnun trusts leetle skeleeton."  
You just now notice, as he's silently pushing it back in the scabbard, that his enormous sword had been out and at the ready in his left hand. He slides it back in and slowly stands upright, staring up. There's no more sound coming from above, but Afnun still seems like he's staring at something. As he turns away you notice the enormous shadow of your avian ally flash through the branches, unseen to anybody but your keen eyes.  
The horshtockian silently creeps forward and into a shrubbery, urging you to follow, you look back on Aghata and the two grasslanders, hiding just behind you, waiting for orders. You follow Afnun into the shrubbery and he points ahead. A group of high game animals, something between a reindeer and a lean buffalo, with thick brown fur around its chest and neck and tall thick antlers covered in velvet fur. There's about ten of them, digging at the ground with their hooves, some laying down in the snow and calmly ruminating whatever moss or tree bark they are eating. None of them seem to have notices you.  
"Olen not heer well now," Afnun whispers, "winter fur covering their eers. But olen sight good for spotting moving hunter. Stay still to reemain hidden. To keell olen leetle skeleeton must stab under cheest, between ribs. Carefull of hooves, very sharp and peinfull." 

Yarnus hoped he had not lost his chance to meet with Ultra. But, providing food was just as important as securing weapons. The little skeleton had never hunted creatures the size of the Olen. The oversized deer-like creatures were far larger than the deer found back home. After watching them for a while he noted that the ones sitting had little to no horns while the larger ones had massive racks. While the sitting ones might seem like easy prey, they were more likely to be with calf since Afnun mentioned it was winter.  
Unlike the boars he hunted back home he wasn’t large enough be able to flip these things over to pierce their chest. Afnun and the grasslanders would have a better chance at the maneuver with their size and extra limbs. "I cąn takë Aghata with me to the other sidê ānd drivė them this way. You ånd thë other two can probàbly down a còüple. The only wåy I could land a killing blów is ìf I sómehow got close enough to get undèr one. I may try that íf we don’t spoŏk them beforehand. It mąy take a while." The cavedweller looked relieved as she translated for the grasslanders. They seemed to have understood with one making a wrestling and stabbing motion to the other.  
Together Yarnus and Aghata slipped away downwind of the Olen and made their way slowly around the group of animals. His attention was divided between watching the herd and looking out for signs of his contact. They had time to find Ultra, or rather to be found, before anyone became suspicious. 

For being so huge and bulky, as most of her kind, Aghata is surprisingly good at stealthily moving through the underbrush. Carefully watching the olen, she only moves when she's sure she won't be spotted. It doesn't seem like the deer have even a clue they're surrounded by hunters.  
A shadow flashes just by you, the sound of rustling feathers barely audible above your head. Aghata, having not noticed anything so far, squats down behind a bush, waving at you to follow her.  
You both squat there, silent, still... Aghata looks around, then turns to you.  
"I presurme we're... not hrere jurst for thre hurnt," she whispers. Before you can answer, a slight rustle catches Aghata's attention and her eyes go wide, her whole body jumping slightly in shock. The olen raise their heads curiously, but then resume grazing, not noticing the huge beast creeping down a tree trunk right behind you.  
Aghata is speechless, her eyes still wide, started and terrified but by her senses enough not to freak out. Ultra cocks its head to see you better, so silent and discrete despite being so huge, its enormous claws dug into the tree bark.  
It doesn't speak, just looking at you and Aghata, then turning its unfocused stare to you only. The hot breath escaping its huge maw through the two rows of teeth is carried off in visible puffs, very light clicking sound coming from its throat.  
Aghata presses to you in fear, grabbing your arm almost painfully. "W-whrat droes it wrant?" she whispers, a bit frantically. 

"It’s ålright." Yarnus pats and then gently prys at her fingers. "Aghata, this is my contact that I’ve been kėeping secrĕt. Ultra, this is the gïrl wĕ rêscued the other night. If I hadn’d hāvĕ brought hér the Horshtockîan wōuld have insistĕd ôn comïng with me." He kept the introductions short since he didn’t quite know how friendly the beast wished be. The silence could be from the knowledge that they were hunting, or that it wished to hide its intelligence. Yarnus pulled the map-turned-message out of his shirt and unrolled it as Ultra slowly made it’s way down the tree and rested on all sixes. Aghata made sure she kept the smaller skeleton between her and it. Her hands held tight on his shoulders to steady herself as Yarnus spoke.  
"The children arė all safe and accôunted for. So that’s gõöd news. The bad news īs, there’s å lòt ôf rėfûgees… and while thĕy are being treated fąirly, thėy’re not álways trêâted kįndly. Many wish to fight back ąnd rêscue theìr loved ones frôm Purpur bùt thê Queen refûsës… untìl nøw." He holds out the map showing the Purpur compound. "I’ve gŏtten permission tö gāthèr a volunteer army ôf refugees. Actúally they themsélves hád gâthéred at least thrêe hundred, bůt they häven't been able to arm themselves. That’s whėre I nėed help. I’ve written for hëlp from Cometa. I have a fėelïng she mĩght havė àlready guessed at whàt would happen. I just need thïs delivered to hêr."  
Ultra takes the map and considers it for a while leaving Yarnus waiting for any sort of reply or information the avian could supply. 

Ultra gently takes the paper between its jaws, turning around to stash it in a pocket under its wing. Aghata seems very confused to find the demon wears clothes, blinking in confusion with her eyes wide. Ultra turns back to you, looking at Aghata for a moment, as if contemplating, before turning back to you and whispering silently in its rough raven voice.  
"I shall return as soon as I am possibly able to. Be careful while I am unable to protect you, train child."  
" It carn speark?! " Aghata whispers, her voice cracking a bit.  
"Stay close to the Horshtockian. He is full of experience and... magic. I believe he will keep you safe. The creature of dust that thirsts after your blood is loose in the woods, but it is very weak. Still it poses a threat to you, so do be careful. Furthermore, I have collected some fish for your cause. They're hidden under an old borovica tree by the town." Then it turns its head towards Aghata, sniffing a bit for her scent before speaking up again. "And you..." You feel the hold on your shoulders tighten in fear. "I trust that you will keep this for yourself... but should you give away my secrets, I will hunt you down." Ultra makes its point by showing off its sharp teeth. Aghata whimpers and nods frantically. "Good. Be safe. I'll be back soon..." With that the winged creature begins to recede back up the tree trunk until its huge body disappears in the snow covered branches.  
Sitting in silence, only the fast breath and heavy beating of Aghatas heart is audible now. She swallows, slowly letting go of you, then exhales deeply.  
"My strars..." she turns to you, "you harve quirte the arllies." She turns to see what the olen are up to, then turns back once she find them still calmly grazing, not noticing a thing. She looks up again, then carefully leans down to you, cupping her toothy mouth to whisper. "Hrowevrer hrave you tramed surch a bearst? And whro is thris Cromerta you sproke orff? Hrow is shre groing to hrelp? How-"  
Sudden movement close by makes her stop, jolting in shock. From the underbrush emerges Afnun, putting a finger to his fanged jaws as he approaches.  
"Hav you two fall asleep heer?" he says, a bit irked. "Olen weell not graze for-ever! I weell go bak up, you scare olen to us, o-k?" Afnun stops for a moment, looking at Aghata closely. She diverts her eyes away, but it seems the Horshtockian has noticed the fear remaining from Ultras visit. "Is cave girl okey? Look like she seen a..." Afnun goes quiet, one hand grabbing onto the hilt of his sword. Without moving an inch, his eyes look up carefully, scanning for any dangers.  
It's Aghatas forced laugher that stops him. "Whrat? No wray, it's jurst... the drark! I'll be frine..." Afnun looks at her, his hand still on his sword... then he laughs, finally letting go of his weapon.  
"Haha! Leetle cave girl doesn't hav to be afreid of dark. Afnun weell protect you," the Horshtockian pats her on the shoulder in such a friendly and heartily manner than Aghaa can't help but smile back a bit. "O-k, I go back up, you scare olen after moment..." With that the Horshtockian sneaks off, leaving you and Aghata alone again. Looking over your shoulder you see the fluffy beasts are starting to smell the air cautiously. They're sure to find you out soon, so you better go after them as soon as possible. 

It doesn't take long for Afnun to get back in place. Despite being even larger than Aghata, he was just as silent in his movements when he wanted to be. It made Yarnus wonder if the two mercenaries were related somehow. Perhaps he could ask about their magic later. Now it was time for the hunt. A large buck nearby was starting to grow restless. Pawing at the ground and huffing, gaining the attention of the others nearby.  
"We don’t have much timê to waste. I’ll go thät wäy a lĭttlé bìt and chărgĕ. If it comes your wåy grab thē horns ând twist your body weight into ĩt. I’ll kĭll it once it’s down." Aghata just nodded and stretched before getting into a good position to run while Yarnus made his way a little further. Trying to hide his movement wasn’t a priority anymore. The group nearest them stood and prepared to run.  
The flash of his magic propelling his legs spooked the whole herd and sent them running towards the hidden hunters on the other side. All but the one buck that noticed his arrival. Either blinded by the light or stubborn as heck it stood there, lowering its antlers and moving forward. Yarnus saw the charge a moment before they collided.  
Honestly if it hadn’t had charged this would have been harder. Yarnus lept for its antlers and drove a foot hard against its skull as he held on. Against a ‘normal’ deer this would have worked, but these beasts were larger and tougher than the ones he had known. The charging beast swayed enough to drag one antler through the snow but quickly recovered and thrashed about. Yarnus felt the head tip forward towards the ground but had no time to jump, he just braced himself for the impact and hoped the new cuirass would protect him. The world spun for a bit before he found himself lying face down in the snow.  
"I’r grot erm! Git to yrour part Yarnurs!" Once he shook the snow from his sockets he saw Aghata wrestling with the buck keeping the beast upside down. He wasted no time pulling out his sword and delivering a fatal blow to its torso. The blade faced no resistance as it hit its mark and soon the only movement was from random muscle twitches.  
"Are you alrįght? I didn’t think thât it woùldn’t run like thĕ others." Yarnus offered a hand to the cavedweller that had just possibly saved his life. 

For the first time you know her, Aghata looks positively delighted. With a big grin on her face she is almost glowing with joy, laughing and accepting your hand, although you can help very little to get her upright and she almost drags you to the ground as you do. She's breathing heavily but still showing that big toothy grin of her crooked teeth, sometimes laughing lightly, putting a foot on the downed olen proudly.  
"Wras thrat frun or whrat?!" she says loudly in excitement. "The dreer wars chargirng at you arll mard arnd you JURMPED on irts hread arnd it wernt BRAM argarinst the grournd arnd thren I GRARBBED IT and SPURN IT like crarzy!" She laughs victoriously as she grabs one antler of the beast. "THRAT WARS SO MURCH FRUN!!!"  
"Lovu zdar!" the voice of the grasslander gets your attention, the rest of your hunting group coming to meet you with big smiles and plentysome catch. The grasslanders are holding one huge buck between them, swinging and throwing it to the one you have downed. Afnun, singing some joyful song, carries a huge male olen on his shoulders like it's nothing.  
"Good hunt leetle skeleeton!" he says in a booming voice that echoes through the snowy trees. "Three olen will feed a hundred men!"  
"Probarbly erven more thran thrat!" Aghata says joyfully, grabbing the one you killed and putting it over her shoulders like Afnun. She has more trouble with it than him, but doesn't let that stop her. The grasslanders fix the deer to a long stick they found with simple ropes they brought with them, then carry it between them. Walking a short distance they find the head is dragging too much, so they cut it off and give it to you to carry.  
Joyful and happy your group sets on your way back to Tonrüka, trailing behind olen blood and rambunctious singing of the huge Horshtockian. His native tongue sounds a bit like grasslander language, but still different. The grasslanders sometimes join in a bit and Afnun laughs at their bad pronunciation of Horshtockian words.  
You walk late into the black out, until the light of the town shows before you. You're very glad to see it, because frankly you're kinda tired by now, yawning and rubbing at your eyesockets, accidentally spreading olen blood on your face.  
You arrive into town to an excited party of all three races. In the middle of the camp is a huge fire, around which the skeletals are dancing and singing. The grasslanders are showing a strange dance, using a wooden rake as a music instrument, tapping at it with a small stick and dragging it over the teeth of the rake. The few Horshtockians of the camp are dancing around the fire to the music of the grasslanders, some jumping over the firepit fearlessly. The cavedwellers are mostly just eating and drinking, but some are joining the dances, which is very funny to see.  
It seems you're the last hunting group to arrive. The first one, a group of grasslanders with one cavedweller, have been very lucky and found a huge flock of young yet flightless birds called "tetchef". They managed to hunt almost three dozen, enough of the huge fatty bird to make a feast. By the fire, two old grasslander ladies with a few cavedwellers as help are skinning and breaking down the meat, right next to a huge cauldron for cooking out the skin and insides. When you bring the three huge beasts, everybody comes to celebrate you, some measuring over the antlers of the game, impressed by the size of your catch. Afnun is positively glowing with pride, so is Aghata, the two grasslanders being praised in their own tongue by their kind. One of the grasslander grannies claps all her hands together at the sight, laughing and praising, and gives Afnun two excited smooches on each cheek.  
First, you ask for where Maiden is. A more than drunk grasslander points you to the gate, where you spot the lean figure of your friend, sitting calmly aside with Snork, who is smoking some kind of pipe. You're told Maiden asked to be left in peace to think, but from the looks of it he seems to be asleep, leaning onto his smaller brother with his eyes closed.  
Even if tired yourself, the sight of all these people so overjoyed makes you happy and excited too. A cavedweller grabs you and lifts you up on his shoulders as he dances, a couple of grasslanders grabbing a plate and putting all the best cuts of meat on it for you along with assorted veggies and a whole freshly baked loaf of bread. You're not spared from the drinking either, being given a huge wooden mug full of very sweet and very strong beer like beverage. You're filled with new energy. Perhaps a bit of partying wouldn't hurt? 

Fresh bread was a delicacy that Yarnus could not pass up. He sat for a while with the cavedwellers watching the local inhabitants dance around the fire. The strong beer settled his nerves from the hunt before and he found himself enjoying the lively music and dancing. The cavedwellers were fun to watch as they tried to imitate the complex footwork of grasslanders and even more hilarious as they fell to the nearly impossible moves the horshtockians made look so simple. Aghata fared better than her own fellows. Probably from being owned by rich horshtockians for so long she probably picked up the basic moves used by both races.  
He watched as she swirled around passing from on dance partner to the next. Even ending up paired up with Afnun who smiled genuinely at her as they danced and then parted ways.  
By the end of his enormous mug Yarnus was ready to try his own version of their dance. It wasn't too different from the reels back home. Only he was used to kicking up high rather than lowering himself down like some of their moves. The crowd welcomed him and swept him up in their dance.  
After a little while the crowd thinned out, but the band played on. Getting an idea he went over to get their attention but found they didn’t understand what he was asking.  
"Your nreed sorme helrp?" Aghata nearly topples over the small skelton as she leans on him. "Ire durnnort knrow iferns knrow anyr sorngs." Her speech was even more slurred than before but she was still bright eyed. Probably just a little drunk and having more fun than she had in ages.  
"I was wanting them to pláy what they ąlreàdy arē, but jũst speèd it up a bit when I ask. There’s a dancé I wănt to do, but thēy’ré playing too slow."  
"Ohr tharts earsy!" She turns to the players and shouts as loud as possible, "Hraj dárl! Hraj dárl! Popohrant!"  
A chorus of ‘hraj dál’is echoed from other grasslanders nearby, but one of the players shouts back.  
"Popo...hrant? Myslíš... urychlit?"  
"Argh, NO!" Aghata turns back smiling as the tune starts to speed up. "Jurst sayer ‘popohrant’ and theyre spreed urp."  
Yarnus is a bit confused but rolled with it, "Pópo-rant? Okay." He unstrung his sword still in its hilt and headed to a nearby clear spot. Aghata followed, curious as to what the little skeleton was up to.  
"Stand bàck a bit. I’m going tø show yoũ how wé show ŏff oůr dancîng back home." With that said he raised the hilted sword up with both hands over his head and let out a sort of war cry. This got the attention of the folks nearby who stopped at the sight of him beginning to mimic some of their moves. Dipping down and spinning, jumping up and spinning, all while holding the sword above him. His feet moved to the rhythm as he pranced about, jumping high and then touching the scabbard to the ground seemingly marking off an area that he wanted to himself. Suddenly he stopped and the band did as well since they were watching him closely.  
Unsheathing the sword he dropped the scabbard on the ground perpendicular to him and then the sword across that before bowing. Without even being told the band started back up and Yarnus began to dance around the cross formed with the sword. His movements similar to the grasslanders, but with his foot coming up high before stepping down hard in very precise spots. "Pòporānt!" he called out and the band speed up with his movements, circling again around the cross and occasionally stepping through and across it. "Popõrant" he yelled again as his movements sped up and started staying within the cross. His feet seemed dangerously close to the blade beneath him and was probably unnerving the refugees, but to him a sword dance like this was fairly simple. He called out one last time, but instead of speeding up he changed his footing. Before he was moving sort of forward in his circles, but now he spun the other way, blind to his own movements as his feet danced back to the outer edges and stopping with a final stomp at the hilt of his sword.  
He barely had time to pick up and sheath his sword before being picked up and swung around.  
"Bry thre STRARS! Howr’d ya nrot curt yer freet!"  


You continue to dance and drink, the natives of these lands trying to mimic your dance after you (thankfully without using swords) although they don't have much luck. You join the spinning dances of the grasslanders and even jump over the firepit with the Horshtockians, eating and drinking anything handed to you and having the time of your life.  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspiration for the dance here, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjXYfDax_-0


	55. The Morning After

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yarnus recovers from a night of feasting, has some linguistical challenges in the bathhouse, and confronts both the Zwezyr Beast and... Maiden.

  


You wake up with the smell of firewood, burned meat and barfed up alcohol filling your skull. Slowly opening your eyes, each of your eyelids feeling like it weighs ten tons, you find yourself sleeping atop Aghata, your face smushed between her enormous breasts through her sweaty shirt. Lifting your head up to look at her you find her mouth wide open and her tongue hanging from the side, her snores so loud it would wake up a hibernating bear. You're in the tavern, which is now full of sleeping giants, sleeping off the night full of partying and getting hammered. Aghata, with you on top of her, is lying on a table. Next to her, sitting on a chair, Afnun is sleeping with his head in his arms on the table.  
Snoring and sometimes groaning is filling the room. With your head a bit heavy you sit up on Aghata's belly and slowly slide down on the ground, fixing your kilt and looking around. Carefully stepping around the sleeping bodies, you make your way to the door, which luckily isn't blocked by anybody.  
The light outside is a bit too harsh at first, but your eyes adapt fast. Looking around you see the remains of the party, a bit messy, but not so bad. A few early birds are walking around and cleaning up the mugs and wooden plates. By the table that was used to butcher the hunted animals now sits a grasslander, holding a huge parchment and the rock feather he uses to write with, while Maiden paces before the table, dictating something, often stopping to think. On the table another grasslander is sorting a huge amount of fish into single packets with salt and herbs. Maiden spots you and smiles widely as you approach, gesturing you to come to him.  
"Lovely to see you Yarnus," Maiden says sweetly, "I hope you've slept well my friend." You give an unsure answer, rubbing your aching skull. "Last night was quite nice, wouldn't you say? It sure had gotten the spirit of our community up. It was so nice to see them all have fun and dance, together, like brothers and sisters." Maidens face is positively glowing with happiness and you can't help but smile back despite your hangover.  
"Yes, it was very nice..." You turn to see Syflay, who has somehow appeared behind you, like out of thin air. His thin leather shoes make next to no sound as he walks by you, his long tail elegantly following him as he comes to stand by Maiden, smiling slyly at you.  
"Although I am not much for alcohol. I like to poison my enemies, not myself, hehe." Then he raises a hand to you apologetically. "Not that I look down on those who do."  
"Syflay my dear," Maiden gently places his hands on the slick grasslander, who closes his eyes and bows his head to him. "I haven't seen you all night, where have you been?"  
"About," Syflay grins, "and I have found something worthy of attention." He turns his eyes to you. "Of your attention especially, Remind." 

The nights previous frivolites pass his mind in bits and pieces. Aghata was blabbering mess. He had drawn a weapon within the Queens walls. There was a bloody trail from the woods to the gate. He wouldn't be surprised if Syflay had snuck up on their conversation with Ultra and had tracked down the Zywzer-beast himself. Any of these things were troublesome to everyone, well except for the beast out for his blood.  
"Sò what is it? Was thē beàst spotted? News of Tzacl? What would cōncern mĕ maînly?" Yarnus wiped at his face and felt flecks of blood fly off. By the gods he could use a bath. 

Syflay grins at you with glee, his knowing eyes glistening.  
"You're very sharp. It's of much enjoyment to Syflay." You raise your eyearches a bit at him talking in similar way as Afnun, speaking about himself in third person. "I suggest you come with me, it's not too far, just down by the river..."  
"What is?" Maiden looks between you and Syflay, a bit worried. Syflay nods at him reassuringly, which is seemingly all Maiden needs. He nods back and holds his hands to chis chest, perhaps a bit nervous.  
"I see. Just... be careful, ok?"  
"We will."  
Without saying even a word more, he begins walking towards the gate. You check if your sword is by your side, feeling a bit better when you feel the hilt in your hand. Then you go after him.  
Syflay moves in a peculiar way, so elegant and careful of every single move he makes, it's kinda hard to look away. As you walk through the gate Syflay leads you by the wall around the city and down hill through the deep snow. Sometimes you have a hard time keeping up, but Syflay doesn't slow down, even for a moment. He doesn't say a word which puts you on edge. You know he can't be bad if Maiden trusts him, and with what you've seen in him... but how he acts now, it's a bit unsettling.  
You walk through some trees and bushes, all the way down to the river. Then, and only then does Syflay finally stop, turning his eyes to you to see your reaction.  
In the clear shallow water, with its chain tangled on a fallen tree, the Zwezyr beast lays on its back, motionless. It's partially tied up with its chain, one front leg pressed to its chest with it, the other curled up behind it. Its head is tilted back, maw open, gasping for air. Its back legs are hanging in the air, tail between them.  
Its badly hurt, blood flowing through the clear water. The one eye you can see seems to be clawed out, no light in the empty eyesocket.  
"I believe," Syflay breaks the silence with a whisper, "you know of this creature, yes?" 

"I do." Yarnus whispers while drawing out his sword. "It’s thê reason my friënds àre in danger. It’s thë reāson Masheenką was hurt." Keeping his eyes activated and on it he circles around its head. Its ragged breathing uneven and slow. The other eye is faintly glowing, loling around barely focused. The beasts breathing speeds up as it snorts and starts to growl. The free leg flexed but the movement caused the beast such pain that it began to whine.  
This didn’t feel right. This wasn’t how he had expected this dangerous being to end. Yarnus stepped closer. His blade found its way to the beasts spine just below the skull. It would be a quick death, painless, or at least an escape from the pain it was in. Up close he could see the scars on it’s skull, deep and old along with the newer ones. He felt sorry for the beast. Created, trained to kill. A slight noise behind him caught his attention. Rattling between the hind legs was its tail. The poor thing had probably never experienced kindness or mercy.  
Yarnus forgave the beast. From what he could tell it only knew pain. He placed his free hand on the beasts jaw and leaned forward. He could put more force into his strike like this, but also it gave him a clear view of its remaining eye. This was probably the only chance to learn what these creatures really were. What sort of experiments the people of Zwezyr did to them. It was obvious by the dust from before that they were not like the canimorphs. Carefully Yarnus pushed his sight into the beast. He knew there would be pain and he prepared for that. Afterwards he could put it out of it’s misery. 

There is barely any will left. The faintly glowing red eye is like doors wide open to its mind.  
There's pain, so much pain, and so much searing hate and freezing fear. Everything hurts, the snow between your paws, the smell of olen in the air, the light wind in the night forest. Stepping through it, the rattling of the chain behind you like glass shards in your skull, you want to end it, you want to end it all, you want to kill it all, kill the snow, kill the smell, kill the chain. Everything hurts you and you want to hurt everything in return. Your existence is filled with agony everywhere you look.  
You look back. Was there ever a time where you weren't in pain? In the darkness of the stone burrow, the cracking of the whip above your head, the strange barks the small round creatures would yell at you. There were others like you. Sometimes you had to fight them. They didn't want to fight you. But you knew fighting was the only way to get fed.  
Something is missing now. there used to be a part of you that is now gone. The part that felt happiness. There are only memories, grey, feelingless memories. Memories of your mother, in a warm burrow, with your siblings, pressing to her warm body, being fed her magic. Jumping through the meadows, playing with your family, then... silence. You fell asleep, but it wasn't sleep. There were no dreams, no feeling, nothing. When you woke up, that part was gone in the colorful flickering horror. Since then, everything was only pain and hate and fear.  
You pull away, not able to endure the pain anymore. Your body is trembling, your eyes full of tears. The red eye is wide, rolled back, the creature breathing in fast shallow breaths, whimpering at your touch. You raise your head to look at it, the creature that was once a happy pup, killed in cold blood by the cavedwellers, only to be brought back, an unwhole existence of agony. There wasn't much you could do for the poor beast. Death would at least put it to rest.  
It doesn't take more than a second. You force your sword between the vertebrae in one swift stab, then jump aside as the beast goes stiff, its remaining eye blazing up before the entire creature bursts into dust and magic residue. You lower the arm you were protecting your eyes with to see the remaining ashes slowly being taken away in the cold stream. You wipe your eye sockets once more, then kneel, leaning onto your sword to give a moment of silence for the poor unwholesome creature.  
When you stand up and push your sword back into the scabbard, Syflay finally speaks.  
"Peculiar creature," he says, staring into the ash filled water, "you have done well to kill it. Syflay think that is best for all of us. Including the beast." 

"I only regret not doĩng it soóner. I nøw know thėre’s no recovëring from whāt had bèen dõnë tó thõse poor creatures. Thēy’rê draŭgar." Syflay wore a rare look of confusion at the strange word. Yarnus continued to explain, "Again-walkêrs… Thê peøplē of Zywzer would kîll canimorphs and their lĕāder would consũme their souls, leaving ónly enough behìnd to create one of thesē creātures."  
"Syflay knew some of this working in Zywzer. But you Remind. You just look at the creature and know?"  
Despite the chill of the water Yarnus took the opportunity to clean off his face. It quickly cooled the heat from using his eyes and invigorated him. "It’s my pöwēr. I can seé īnto weàk ŏr fêēblé minds easily. I cąn pick ŭp strong emotions tōo. That’s how I knõw you ąnd Afnun arè fīērcely loyal to Maiden." He chuckled to himself briefly. "I knew Afnun thōught I was ä lîttle thing that neēded protection éven beforè hē ever spoke."  
"This is a true thing of Afnun. What of Syflay? What thing do you see?"  
Just by the tone of his voice Yarnus knew the assassin wasn’t pleased with someone knowing things about him. Truthfully anyone would be upset, but with Syflay it could become dangerous.  
"Right nōw, nŏthing. I havè to choose tó see. If I was tŏ try to find sómething you are hĭding, it would tàkĕ a löt of energy and you’d be aware that I wás trying. Especially nøw that you know."  
The grasslander relaxed a bit while he pondered this information.  
"I used it when wè fìrst met at the tàvèrn. Your hatred of Purpür is sīmĭlar to my hatréd of Won. I don’t need to know ănything more than that." 

Syflay lifts his eyes up with visible surprise and maybe even shock at the sound of Won's name. Quickly he turns his gaze away, obviously not wanting you to see his reaction.  
"Yes, it is true..." He says, squinting his eyes hatefully. "There is little that Syflay hates more than her. " Hatred and disgust drips from his words. "This world is full of malice, greed and evil. But none as concentrated as her..." He lifts his head to you, his eyes very serious. "Or him. "  
Silence falls for a moment. You and Syflay stare at one another, and in his eyes you can see he knows Won, not just from his recent doings. He looks at you, knowing, then raises his head and one eyearch, his smooth sharp horns glistening in the morning light.  
"Justiciar," he finally speaks, "Syflay knows many things. Knowledge is my main weapon, after all. Tell me... what do you know of that vile creature?" 

"By the G O D S ! I wished I häd stabbèd him in the băck when I hād the chänce." Yarnus was relieved to have someone who felt the same way as him. "I coůldn’t read him. Not at all. And hë K N E W īt! He U S E D me. He L I E D to me. Mark my wŏrds, I wîll K I L L him. Even if it meåns kīlling a god now." The fire in his voice was enough to make the grasslander take a step back. Yarnus calmed himself a bit, the hangover starting to make itself known again. "Bút there’s no way I can dò that by myself. Won must havë spēnt yèàrs, decades êven, planning õn how tō defeat Eqüinlibrĩâ. I wŏûld need ä wholë army of Horshtokians tō even gèt close ênoůgh tó him. I’m nöt even sürē īf my pøwêrs woůld work ăgaînst him ëĭther." Yarnus paused and stared out across the snow. "I doůbt I could convínce thë Lady of Pùrpũr to attāck Won. Let the two weąken èach other. Sneak ïn ănd free thē slaves while they are prëoccúpied." Actually that didn’t sound like too bad of a plan. "Heh, nõw that would be something to sēe."  
Yarnus turned back around and started on the path back to town. "I did spēnd sŏme tīme in Wons base and would be happy to let yoū know ëvèry detail of īt, but ríght now I’m à bĩt hungry and…" He stopped a few feet away from the grasslander. "I already feel partly responsiblē fôr causĭng this méss, sŏ please… lêt me téll yöu on my ôwn time." 

Syflay nods, closing his eyes. "I understand. Let us return, get fed and clean..." He steps behind you, catching up to you. "But, once you're ready... We should have a talk. Syflay, you... and Maiden. I believe we have something important to discuss..."  
A bit unsure, you decide to take care of your hunger first.  
You walk back up the hill and to the city. You notice the snow had been disturbed since you were gone, seems like a huge group had came in. Once you go through the gate, you find the rest of the camp has mostly woken up, now fixing the campsite. Maiden seems to be dividing everyone into troops.  
Next to him, on a high steed of unknown species, sits a high Horshtockian figure. Coming closer Maiden greets you, quickly leading you to the mounted creature. It looks similar to an olen, with fur around its hooves and large flat antlers. It looks like something between a draft horse and a moose.  
"We have been touched by the Gods tonight my dear friend," Maiden smiles brightly, "for a very special guest has arrived to Tonrüka. This is the Crimson Horseman, chief of the Galloping Flame." Maiden points both left hands to the rider, hidden in a green coat.  
"Which eez stuped," the Horshtockian says, pulling down the hood to show a face matching the feminine voice. "I am neether creemson, nor man - thes eesn't eeven a horze!" she gestures to her mount. Her accent is very bad, but you understand her well enough to hear the hint of joke in her voice. Maiden laughs lightly, nodding his head.  
"Indeed, ahaha! In any way, she has heard of our cause, and wishes to help it. We have been gifted many l'orsen by her tribe which will do greatly to help our cause!"  
The rider jumps off her steed, which you now know to be called "l'ors" and approaches you. She seems very friendly but fierce and powerful, just like you would imagine a Horshtockian chief to be.  
"Ouwr tribe eezn't beeg, but wee aar mor dan weelling to geeve all ouwr steed to you!"  
"This will mean a few dozen more soldiers, skilled riders of Glasswöll, plus almost a hundred l'orsen, to help us defeat the evil that is Purpur." Maiden jumps slightly in place, holding both pairs of arms together. "Gods are on our side my friends!"  
"Ya, Gods and beests!" the Horstockian chief laughs heartily.  
Looking at the l'ors, it's almost three times your height, a massive creature with calm eyes. You can't imagine riding one yourself, but they look more than perfect for the Horshtockians and cavedwellers, maybe even some braver grasslanders.  
"Sorry to interrupt, Maiden dear," Syflay steps in. "Syflay trusts that Yarnus is also very excited for this news, but now, I must ask you to provide him with food and a place so he may wash." Maiden is a bit surprised that Syflay find this to important, but only nods.  
"Ah, well, sure, of course." He snaps his fingers and a young grasslander boy quickly runs to him. Maiden tells him something in their language and the boy nods eagerly, motioning you to follow him.  
"We shall be here," Maiden smiles at you.  
"Take your time," Syflay says, grinning a bit too much for comfort. You are a bit uneasy, but decide to follow the boy. You are, after all, longing for a good wash and some food would also be nice.  
The boy leads you to the city, which surprises you a bit. On the edge, where the city made of white stone and the dirty campsite meets, he leads you into what looks like a regular family house. The grasslanders inside greet you in their language, their talk friendly but indistinct to you, then show you the bathroom.  
It's a very pretty room, with a big tub made of polished granite. A grasslander woman brings in a tub of hot water and begins to draw you a bath manually, helped by what looks like her two daughters. They add a fine fragrance to the water even, constantly smiling at you and making sure you're comfortable. It seems they think of you as very high and royal, treating you like a prince, honored to have you in their house.  
When the bath is full, they bring you a plate of baked goods. They look like the boochkas you had a while ago with Cometa, but smaller and covered in sugar powder. They smell delicious, probably freshly pulled out of the oven. 

Yarnus gladly takes the tray and samples its goods. The pastries are filled with something that reminds him of cherries and honey. "Yąy cù’ay", he tries to thank them in their language but most likely messed it up considering the amount of stifled giggles from the two girls. He eats two more before setting the tray down on a small table and bowing to the attendants.  
They didn't leave.  
The three of them kinda looked at each other for a moment before one smiled widely and stepped forward to unbuckle the straps of his chest piece. All four hands moved deftly before he had the chance to protest.  
"That’s rēally not necessāry. I cān take care of that… ăh... ah… no ‘deyku yay’."  
The girl undressing him looked up surprised before motioning for the other to come forward. "Řekl ano," she sang out while moving to unlatch the other side. The second girl looked nervous before shooting forward and tugging at one of her sisters arms.  
"Jazyk jeskyně nemá ‘ano’."  
Yarnus still wasn’t sure what they were talking about but he soon recognized one of the words. Their language was a little confusing to follow but he did remember that ‘ano’ meant ‘yes’. It was so weird to him that yes and no sounded so similar.  
"Nay. Nay dąykú ay" he tried this time, gently removing the hands from his side. All three hands not held by her sister covered the first girl's face. Her flush of embarrassment was obvious. As they moved to leave he bowed again, hoping they’d understand that he wasn’t upset.  
"Děkuji. Půjdeme." The second one abruptly said as she guided the first out of the room. As soon as the door shut he could hear them talking quickly to each other as they walked away.  
Normally he wouldn't have cared about getting undressed for a bath, but being watched by non-bathers was a little too strange. Especially when there was a language barrier. He stripped quickly and grabbed a handful of the sweets before settling into the warm tub. 

You sit in the warm water which smells of hot spring salts and wildflowers, eating the tasty treat. It's silent, safe for the grasslander family talking in their language behind the door. They seem so excited to have you here, you can't help but smile to yourself. Despite being a complete stranger they've welcomed you with open arms. Despite being the reason of Zwezyr being doomed in the hands of Perlo, they've welcomed you as a hero…  
You sigh, rinsing your ribs. Tzacl is in great danger, you can't even be sure if he's still alive. Omega would've been the same was it not for a stroke of good fortune. This town is full of refugees, forced out of their homes, afraid and with uncertain future ahead of them…  
But you're fixing it. You're doing your best. You're fighting the good fight and you'll do everything it takes to help. You'll defeat Purpur and free the countless daughters and sons she had stolen from their parents. And you will find a way to take care of Won, too.  
Clean and fed, you get up from the water, letting it cascade through your bones and over your ectobelly. Grabbing a towel you dry yourself, putting your clothes back on. You wonder what to do now. Syflay seemed very eager to tell you something important, though you hope it isn't anything bad. You really don't want more bad news right now... Surely he'll understand if you go elsewhere instead to take a breather. 

Syflay did say to take his time. It's not like anything was planned for today. Bellies were full and word from M Laboratories would take a day or two most likely. By the gods he missed them. Bathing alone reminded him of the time spent with Omega, and Masheenka would be awake in a whole new body soon. He wasn't even sure which one he was looking forward to seeing again the most.  
As he dressed he stared at the red fabric Tzacl had worn. The angry skeleton had spent what, two hundred years he said?, traveling in the Void alone. Surely being captured by the likes of Purpur wasn't the worst he had seen. Perhaps there was even a small hope in him that he had friends who would help him. Something he may not have had for a long time.  
Tzacl was alive, this Yarnus was sure of. Probably even working on his own to escape. He loosely wrapped the fabric around his neck and tucked it in. He had made a promise to find Grolom and he couldn't do that without Tzacl. The Justiciar couldn't just go back against his word.  
Yarnus stepped out fully dressed into the home that welcomed him. More treats were set out along with a kettle of what smelled like plumhelmet tea. It would be rude of him to bath and leave without being sociable. Even if he may not understand their language. 

You smile at the friendly faces which gesture you to come sit down and have anything you please. You sit down on a chair that had been padded with at least three pillows so you're comfortable and high enough to reach the table without any trouble. You're offered a plate of cookies, which they call 'linec'. It's two round cookies, one with a hole in the middle, with jam in between. They taste very nice, especially with the tea. (paragraph) You sit and eas decently, trying to have a conversation. The son who had led you here knows a bit of your tongue, so even though it's clunky and difficult, you manage to have a conversation about the town and the Horshtockians. Apparently there are a few smaller Horshtockian tribes living here and there throughout Glasswöll, which are reasonable and some even friendly. Most of them have some grasslander descent in them and are thought of as 'impure' by the other Horshtockians, called a slur 'ragaty', meaning 'horned ones', since most have horn growths from the grasslander blood in them. You ask if the tribe chief you've met a while ago is one of them, being told that yes, although she herself does not have visible horns. There's even one tribe, at the border of the Grasslands and Glasswöll, which has cavedweller blood in them too. Despite being huge and bulky and honestly very scary they're very peaceful and keep to themselves. They don't, however, like outsiders very much, and usually don't allow visitors to settle with them.  
Suddenly, you spot Syflay and Maiden coming by the window, talking in their language. Listening in to their conversation you pick up on the seriousness in their voice, as well as a few words. Acting quickly, you ask the son to translate for you. After listening in while the two slowly approach the door. The son quickly whispers to you that Maiden seems to be hesitant about telling you something Syflay thinks you should know. No more can be said as the two knock on the door, let in by the mother of the family.  
Syflay looks a bit irked, maybe even disappointed, while Maiden smiles warmly and comes to you, placing a hand on you softly.  
"Hello dear friend, I hope you've had a nice stay. I believe you've been treated well, yes?" 

"Yes. I’ve been lēarning aböut sóme øf the dìfferent tribes. I’m glad to hĕăr that not all of thē Horshtockían árê likè the slavers änd Purpur."  
"It is good that you are learning this. The Galloping Flame is one of such tribes." Maiden then turns his attention to the family and speaks to them in their language. Probably to share some of the news with them. Syflay remains silent, almost disappearing into the shadows. Something is bothering the assassin, but Yarnus can’t really tell what exactly without using his power.  
"Sun Child, is there anything you’d wish to do today?" Maidens voice interrupts his thoughts on the matter.  
"Actuålly, Syflay mėntioned thät wė needed tò have sømê sort of discùssion. I shõuld probąbly lëárn more about the péŏple and sōmè customs. I know there have bēen ă few mįsundèrstandings and I don’t rêâlly want to offend anyoné." His eyes automatically glanced to the sisters. "If I had known the quĕen makes her decĩsions according to old träditions I think my meeting with hèr would have góne bettèr."  
"Yes. Yes. I agree. Where shall we start?"  
"Maiden dear. Perhaps we shouldn’t bother the others with our talk. Syflay knows of a quiet place better suited to our conversation."  
Yarnus manages to say ‘Děkuji’ properly before being escorted away. Once out of hearing he speaks up. "I think Syflay ís afráid I’ll bê ūpsèt with you." Both turn to the smaller skeleton in a mix of shock and confusion. "I know you häven't beĕn telling me everything, but yoù’re nóthing like Won. He lied to me for selfish rēasons ānd claįmed he wanted tõ help. Yøu arë actually helpîng people. Sô please," he takes Maiden’s two lower hands into his own. "Dôn’t keep things frōm mé."  



	56. Hush, hush

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I couldn't leave on a cliffhanger like that. Yarnus learns some of the trios secrets and shares his own before being offered a chance to at least see or possibly even rescue Tzaclkratz.

  


Maiden stares down at you, his face blank of emotion. You stare into his eye sockets, staring deep into the darkness of his skull... and only now that you look closely, do you see the same glimmer, although hidden somehow in the shadow of his eyes. It seems he realized you've noticed and turns away to hide it, but it's too little too late. For a while he keeps his sight adverted, pondering, then he looks to Syflay. The assassin stares back resolutely, folding both pairs of arms, until Maiden sighs, turning to you, his hands limp in your palms.  
"Ah..." he sighs again, "it is not what you think my friend. I am not afraid you should become angered at me, although, perhaps you will that I have not told you sooner... I am afraid you will..." He looks away, his breath short and his eyes worried. "I am afraid to endanger your life with what I have yet to tell you."  
Silence falls. Maiden takes his time, then looks to you again, on the verge of tears. "I am not yet certain myself but... I think, between me, Syflay and Afnun... we know who Won is."  
"Afnun doesn't have anything to do with Won," Syflay raises his voice, almost sounding a bit irked. Maiden turns to him sharply with a frown.  
"But he has everything to do with us." His voice is not loud but very stern. Syflay looks away, looking apologetic, almost afraid of Maiden, like a child is of a stern father. Maiden pauses, then looks around, finally turning back to Syflay, his voice softer.  
"I apologize Syflay... Let us find this calm place you've spoken of so we may explain ourselves."  
"What about Afnun? Should Syflay go fetch the man?" Maiden shakes his head,  
"He needs not be with us for it. You know he is not... strong. It will be better to not irritate his soul."  
"He won't be happy if you tell his secrets."  
"I am not happy to tell mine, either..." Maiden says, his voice very serious. Syflay looks away again, then nods.  
"Follow me..."  
A bit flabbergasted, dozens of thoughts run through your head. Of Maiden and the two "mercenaries", of Won and... who he is? This ought to be very, very interesting. Perhaps a bit too interesting...  
Syflay leads you into one of the white houses, which seems like a chemist's shop, filled with the smell of herbs and incense. Shelves made of dark wood are filled with vials and pill bottles. A shady looking man behind the counter becomes alert at the sight of Syflay and immediately begins to bow and whisper something, opening a door to let you along with him into a small room filled with drying flowers and tree bark, then leaves you alone to discuss. You sit down at a small table covered with tools for extracting oils and making pills. Silence prevails. None dare to speak for a long while.  
Finally Maiden speaks up, turning to you, great worry in his eyes. "Are you sure you want to know the truth? I do not want to endanger you, but I would not wish to impede your knowledge..." 

"I'm sure that who he is mäy not affect me the sâme as you. I'm an øutsìder. If yoü sąy he's ā legendary héro from the days of yøre, it won't swây my opinįon of him." Yarnus stood up and paced the floor between the two grasslanders.  
"When Syfláy asked me aboút whät I knew öf Won I wasn't surĕ how much infòrmátion had been shăred while yøū nursed mè back to health. I fêël responsïble fŏr the mess I... no, that Won īs makïng ŏf thĕ grasslands. I wâsn't strong enough to stóp hīm. I was too weak tō prēvent hîm from bécoming the beast that he is nōw. But worst of ăll…" his pacing stopped as he took a deep breath. "I hēlpëd hìm dó ït."  
The confession felt like his soul was about to fall out and crash on the floor. So much so that he had to steady himself with the chair. "He misled me, LIED to me. Hĕ toŏk… he took meaning from me. I cån't even think àbōut retùrning to my hŏmêlànd wìth thĭs… taĩnt on my soul." Finally he sat down and rested on the chair. "I'm willing to têll yõu everything I know aboŭt him ïf that means yōū'll help me fix my mistakes. I wânt tò see hīs rĕīgn end. I want to see his dust run thrõugh my fingers." 

After a moment of silence, the confession still heavy on your chest, you feel a hand gently lay on your shoulder. To your surprise it's Syflay you see when you look up.  
"Syflay understands your feelings, Remind." He pulls away, diverting his eyes into the table. "You were not the only one used by him for foul acts..." He looks up, but doesn't look at you or Maiden. His eyes are distant as he recalls his past.  
"As you've probably figured out, I have much shared history with that man. There were times that we were like brothers. Or so I thought... Until my eyes were opened." He looks to Maiden with a smile, which is returned by the other grasslander. "Then I realized, he was only preying on me, using me for his own selfish needs, forcing me to lower and lower crimes and making me into a monster..." For the first time you see genuine sadness and regret in his eyes as he covers his face. "I'm sorry, these memories... they hurt Syflay in many ways."  
"You are not what you once were my dear." Maidens voice is soft and soothing. "You know that." Syflay takes a deep breath to gather his composure again, then looks at you with serious, but still wet eye sockets.  
"I... we are still hesitant to tell you..." Syflay says, reaching a hand across the table to hold Maiden's. "But you..."  
"We trust you Yarnus. We trust you to keep this secret beyond your grave. Especially from my brother, please..." You just nod, a bit anxious by this point. Maiden takes a deep breath, taking a moment to think. Then he begins to tell his tale.  
"I... was born twice in my life. My first birth was almost a hundred years ago. During a time before Zwezyr was founded, before my people were dispersed, when the Tree of Code was not yet the Ωmega Hub..." Your mouth involuntarily goes ajar in surprise. "I was a young boy when I found the Abysm. When I ventured further than I should've. When I fell into hell itself. I had fallen into the Undervoid, and I bare the consequences to this day..." He grabs at his chest, taking a deep breath before continuing. "I've spent months, maybe years, falling through eternity, praying for the merciful release of death, until... something had... touched me. It is difficult to explain. I've caught a glimpse of light, the first ray of sun I've seen in ages, and suddenly... there was more within me. I've gotten knowledge, knowledge I could never have even thought of. And then I finally hit the ground. I fell into Glasswöll, not far from this city, even." He chuckles lightly. "That was the second time I was born. I was alone, scared, but I knew many things. And without a sliver of doubt, I knew where to go. I went through the snow and wind, bare and dying. But I arrived where I was supposed to be. The place. And I saw her Yarnus. I saw Equinlibria. I saw the giant creature walking through the mountains, like some sort of God. It was..." Maiden stops, gulping, his breath short. "I cannot even begin to describe it..."  
Silence falls for a while, then, Syflay looks to you.  
"It was years after that, decades, that I have been even born. I was a slave child, my mother owned by the Horshtockians, until, one day I've..." He smirks a bit. "'Spiked' our masters drink, so to say. They blamed my mother for my crime. She has been executed, and I've ran away." His smile falls. "And the hate I felt, towards myself and everybody around me... Won knew of it. And he used it against me, and against his enemies. He called me his brother, 'Zero', but I was his tool. I've killed many. Horstockians, cavedwellers, grasslanders, men, women, children alike. I killed anybody who dared to oppose the only person I trusted and loved, the family I never had. He became feared with me as his right hand. Until..." He looks to Maiden. "Until I've met Maiden. I was meaning to kill him, just like Won had told me to. But he... shared a part of himself with me. He made me understand it was not my past that defined me. That I could still choose. Things are not yet written. I took the warning and I chose a path that was less destructive. For that I owe him my life..."  
"Ah, Syflay, you know you do not!" Maiden laughs. Syflay grins.  
"I wouldn't want it any other way Maiden. It's my choice to owe you my life." Both of them laugh briefly.  
"Ah, I suppose I can't argue with that, haha!"  
You, a bit overwhelmed, watch the two grasslanders laugh together, holding hands lovingly, like brothers, like lovers. It seems like a good moment to ask questions should you have any... 

For a while he was silent. He wasn't too sure which secret was the one hidden from Snork. He had already figured the two were close and didn't think it was something that warranted such strong secrecy.  
"I gūess I cöuld sąy I'vé been rebórn as well." Yarnus cleared his non existent throat, not really accepting the rutting of Masheenka as something miraculous. "I was born øn an island thàt I belïeve was not of this plâne. Then I woke in this world, in the cavĕs whĕre I was ‘toůched’ by an OverGlĭtch. Ever sĭnce thèn I've known or sensed things that I wóuldn't have just by mysëlf. I've even had tįmes when I by áll other means shōuld have diėd büt I didn…" He stopped and held his head. Some memory tried to appear, but the buzzing of static filled his head.  
" _Yarnus. Are_ you not _feeling_ well? " He wasn't able to tell who voiced their concern. The feeling was like when he read the book in the stairwell. The room spun as he thought about what he saw… but it was left behind… with Omega. Omega, who wasn't fazed by it at all.  
With his thoughts turned away from the thing causing his distress he was able focus once again. "Perhaps since I'm nøt a codeling, the informatįon shąrėd with me is not quitē compatĭble. I'll be fíne. Perhaps I should shäre whât I knõw of Wõn and êven of Equinlibria."  
It took a while, but he started at the beginning with meeting ‘Harmonious’ in the caves. The silent brute he called Zero. The murder of the ‘blabber mouth’ Perlo who had stolen Omegas soul. The muted, unreadable soul. The thieves den with twelve empty beds. The promise of a better place for everyone. The cannon like device that was already placed in the final chamber. The human soul.  
Yarnus hands shook as he retold his story. Something felt wrong, or right. "Why did he do âll this? HOW did he do åll thįs? I thōught hē was júst ä saleskëlton and a thief. Not a… scientist." His eyes went wide as pieces slipped together in his mind.  
"Eqûinlibrîa was madĕ by the same scientíst we thought made Màshēênka, but Cometa madê her… And Wøn knew thät Eqúinlibria wăs crēated tó store souls…" A look of terror crept across his face. "Did Won èver gō by the năme õf Mellow?" 

"Me _llow?_ _" Both grasslanders repeat the name at the same time, which they laugh off a little but the sound of that name grates at your skull for reasons you can't really grasp._  
" Ah, well, I don't know..." Syflay says, looking to Maiden, "has he?"  
"I don't believe he did... at least I have never heard anybody refer to him as such."  
It's strange to you that Syflay would ask Maiden, when he himself was basically Won's brother for what sounded like at least years. Maiden notices your puzzled look and turns his attention to you.  
"There is more about Won that I have the knowledge of. You see, I've known Won even before Syflay had met him. I've met him at the place, the spot I somehow knew to come to find Equinlibria. I will never forget that night..." His look becomes distant for a moment as he pauses to recollect it fully. "As I stood there, on the stone circle barren of snow against all logic... He was there too. We both stood there and stared in awe at the giant creature. He stood in the doorway, holding the knob in his hand. Ad then he said something. I remember it so clearly..." Maiden looks you in the eyes, his voice hushed. "'It's mine,' he said, 'it's my creature. She's for me. ' He was in so much awe, I'm not even sure he knew I was right there, hearing his monologue..." His look slowly becomes worried, his eyes diverted to the tabletop, until he looks to you. "The place... I've tried to return there, more than once."  
"Syflay also tried to enter it," the other grasslander joins in. "I wanted to know about the place the man who ruined my young life lived in. But..."  
Silence falls. For a while, it seems neither of the Codelings know what to say, until Maiden finally gathers his breath to talk.  
"There is something around it, an aura, like a bad omen... The first time I approached it, it didn't have that terrifying feel to it, but now I couldn't muster the courage to even go near it, let alone enter it."  
"The place is cursed." Syflay says resolutely, his tail twitching. "None dare to approach, all can feel the unease of it, animals and skelletals alike. Some say stories about it, that those who enter don't come back, though Syflay thinks nobody had entered it as far as anyone can even remember. That's why Maiden was hesitant to tell you about it..." Maiden sighs, looking to you apologetically.  
"Yes, that also... I do trust you with my secrets, but I know that possible information about Won, entering the place he may have occupied, it's probably very attractive to you. I am afraid should you choose to venture in it..." 

__

There was some relief in thinking that Won wasn't Mellow, but still there was a connection between the two that didn't sit easy with him. A conversation was needed with Cometa before Yarnus even thought about pursuing that path.  
"Perhaps in thë future I might investigatè. Bŭt I hăve alrèady been warned tŏ stay away frōm súch sites. I'm nōt quitĕ rĕady to lëàve my friênds bêhind."  
The two grasslanders visibly relaxed at the small skeletons resolution. "See. Syflay knew this information would not interfere with our plans for the now." Their hands intertwined with each others in a way that made Yarnus think of Tzacl and Grolom and that calm night in the brothers home. Oh how he wished that hadn't been the last night of relative peace.  
He didn't realize he had been blankly staring at them until they got his attention again. "Is there more questions you have or information you'd like to share?" Maiden looked a little concerned at the way Yarnus spaced out for the moment.  
"How does yoůr brother nōt knõw? Sùrely your family wöuld have known thåt you wėre missing for part of your yoũth. Spéakïng of, how old do grásslanders live? I spōke to a cavĕdwēller who mėntioned generations häd passed since thēy left the cavĕs. But Rėminds līke Tzacl and Cometa and êven Mellōw hâve been around twíce as long." 

Maiden's face contorts into an expression of pain and anxiety at your question. He turns his gaze away, then sighs, one hand coming up to grasp at his chest.  
"I... Well, you see..." There's a moment of pause as he takes a deep breath, looking to you pleadingly. "Please, you must promise to never tell him, or anyone else for that matter." Only after you nod does he continue. "Snork... is not my brother. He is my son."  
Maiden exhales deeply, the confession obviously causing him great distress. "You see, undoubtedly, it is the power of the Undervoid that has kept me alive for many decades. Perhaps, I will not be granted death for many more generations... My family, my parents and siblings, are long dead." He sighs, tears welling up in his eyes. "A-and I am terrified to think I will live to see the day my son d-dies of old age." He breaks down into tears, gently comforted by Syflay. While Maiden tries to regain his posture, the assassin speaks up.  
"Syflay, and presumably Afnun one day too, feel this phenomena in our bodies as well. You must understand, when I was born, the town of Zwezyr was still the Birth Village of the grasslander tribes. The cavedwellers came to take it for themselves when I was but a child. Ever since Maiden had shared his gift with me, I have not aged a single day it seems..." He sighs, rubbing both right hands over Maiden's back. "Syflay, too, is afraid of the future I will have no choice but to live through..." 

"I-I didn't know. I d-didn't imagine." Yarnus felt terrible at dredging up such a horrible thing.  
"Snórks old clōthes… That's why yøu kēpt them."  
"Mementoes. One day they m-may be all I have left o-of…" Maidens tears flow again. This time Yarnus stood up and came to his side. His wet sockets pressed against the others skull.  
"I can't îmagine yoũr pain. I nēvĕr knew thê child I løst. I only know therê's no rėplàcėment." Together the two consoled Maiden until they all calmed down. The humidity of the room was starting to become bothersome. Yarnus fanned himself as he sat back down. "Perhaps we can tālk morë ánother time. I thînk we could use somë fresh āir." 

"I have one more thing to tell you, Remind. As the head spy of the Coalition of Unification, I have planned a little..." He grins slyly. "Let's say, 'nightime cruise' in the House of Purpur. I have been there many times before. In fact..." He smiles, genuinely this time. "I might be able to take you to a certain friend of yours..." His smile turns apologetical and unsure. "Thought Syflay cannot promise much..." 

"WHAT!" The mood in the room suddenly shifted from morose to excitement. "How? I såw the map. It’s lĩke a fortress!" The spy grinned again, taking the comments as compliments.  
"Do you doubt the skill of Syflay?" It wasn’t so much of a serious question as it was a small jest.  
Yarnus stared dumbfounded for a while pondering his decision. "I want to. By the gods I want to, but I doubt I coüld allôw myself to leave withoût him." He sat for a while clenching his fist against the table. "If the öther tribĕs havē heard of us moůntĭng an attack then surėly she has as well. Hér sëcurĩty îs probably alrĕâdy on alert." He slumps down in the chair as he accepts his fate. "I’m not exactly the best at staying hîdden ĩn the shâdows. Unless yoŭ’ve got a plàn thāt I could fit into, thė best thĩng would tó get å messäge to him." 

"Syflay is happy to inform you that you're wrong," Syflay chuckles slyly. "The Purple Devil has not yet heard of our cause. The neighbouring tribes have heard from my people, other spies like me, and so far we've been able to conceal this information from her. Also," he pats you on the head, jokingly a bit condescending. "You're very... compact. You shouldn't be too hard to sneak through to Purpurs. By the stars - I'd even carry you all the way there in my satchel! Hahaha!"  
"And now that we have the l'orsen, it should not take long to get there," Maiden joins in, also visibly excited. "Why, if you leave now, you should make it there at blackout and be back by dawn!"  
"You speak the truth," Syflay says, getting up and to the door. "I shall prepare myself. If you wish to join me, Remind, I will wait for you by the gate with our steed. Be quick!" With that the assassin runs out of the room, hastily grabbing a few things off the shelves before disappearing out the door.  
Maiden holds his hands with a smile. "How joyous you must be! I say, sun child, I am able to maintain the Coalition today by myself, so you need not worry to leave us behind. Go if you must!" 

The sudden positive vibes made Yarnus feel a bit better. A little bit more hopeful in this whole situation. If Maiden was sure the trip would be successful then Yarnus would trust him. Honestly, the chance to ride one of the l’orsen was just enough to change his mind. There was just something about being able to control something so much larger and stronger than you.  
"I think I wìll go. If you trũst Syflây to keep me sâfe, then I wĩll. It woûld bé goŏd tø knòw the inner láyôut fôr whēn we attack."  
Together they walked to the gate. There was nothing Yarnus could think of besides his sword that he should bring so he relied on Maiden to suggest things if needed.  



	57. Trip into the Maw

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I LIVE!  
> Between illness, drama, and general seasonal hoo-ha, I haven't had much energy to chapter. Hopefully I can get back to something steady soon. In the meantime this chapter has one of my favorite lines on it. Kudos to whoever can guess which one.

  


You stand by the gate watching the Horshtockian tribespeople leading around their l'orsen, teaching others how to handle them. Just a few minutes later, Syflay shows up, holding the reins of one of the beasts himself. It's a smaller mare, her dark brown eyes calm as she ruminates slowly. Syflay grins as he approaches you, using both right hands to show you the inside of his pouch. As you peek in you see the two sides are lined with tiny pockets, each filled with one fist sized capsules of two kinds. He reaches in with one left hand and takes four out, two of each kind.  
"Flash powder," he puts a finger on a yellow one, then on a blue one, "and sleep powder. For distraction and getting rid of snoopers. I was told you're a particularly merciful soldier of the light, so I will do my best to go without killing this time." He winks at you as he stashes them into your belt pouch. You catch a glimpse of more flasks and one more type of capsules in his stash before he closes it.  
"Now, if you're ready to go, let's hop on. The sooner we go the sooner we'll return with important information."  
You adjust your sword and nod, coming to the high steed... but can't get on it yourself. After Syflay helps you up, mercifully not mentioning anything about your height, he holds onto you with his lower pair of arms while taking the reins in his upper hands.  
"Hyjé!" he cues the steed and she gets moving, going through the open gates and down the hill to the river. Her big broad hooves are well built to scale the snow., her thick horsehair is oily to protect her against the cold.  
You go down to the place you've killed the Zwezyr beast, dust still visible between the river pebbles, then ride along the water, slightly uphill yet downstream. You gallop through the underbrush, sometimes stepping into the water, your steed huge and bulky yet nimbly avoiding branches with her antlers.  
You ride for what seems like a couple hours, a little sore by the time Syflay finally stops the steed with a "Prrrr!". He looks around, watching a crow with shiny cobalt black feathers swoop down a tree and bury into the ground at the base of it.  
"The blackout will be here any minute now," he says as he stops the l'ors and jumps off, helping you down. You're hidden in the forest, looking up you see what looks like a large tower made of dark wood and stone at the top of a hill, about half a kilometer away, obscured by the tree branches.  
"That's one of the watchout towers, filled to the brim with artillery. As soon as we stay between the trees we should be safe..." Syflay ties the rein to a branch, turning to you. "Still, it'll be better to wait till the light goes out. Darkness is our ally tonight." 

Yarnus looks up towards the tower while there is still light out. "I’m wørried that my eyes might catch their attentìon, either by looking up ör réflécting off the snŏw." He tugs at the shawl nervously before getting an idea. Syflay looks on as the small skelton bites onto the edge of the fabric and proceed to wrap it carefully around his head. After a few tries extra hands come to his aid and quickly fashion the fabric into something that resembles a concealing hood.  
"How you manage with only two arms amazes Syflay." In the distance sounds begin to ring out sending a feeling of mild panic through his bones. "Those are the evening bells. Cover your eyes now until the blackout comes. We do not want to waste time adjusting to the darkness."  
Time seemed to pass excruciatingly slowly between the bells and the blackout. Being without sight was both strange and familiar to him. The l’ors hoof stomps vibrated the ground and it’s breath was hot compared to the chill of the air. Even the birds and creatures of the forest could be heard in the final moments of the light. Each scurrying to the comfort of their home. Safe from whatever predators roamed in the dark. Although the distance was still quite far, the voices of some of the more rambunctious horshtockians could be heard.  
Even with his eyes closed, Yarnus knew as soon as it was blackout. The sudden chill caused him to open his eyes and activate his magic enough to warm his bones. His soft glow was apparent to himself so he tried to control his magic and keep it as hidden as possible.  
"We sh-should get moving. Cold bothèrs me wĩthoút m-my magïc." 

Syflay simply nods, getting up and walking between the trees. Suddenly he's gone. You go after him, but can't see him anywhere, even the track is obscured. After a while of standing there, unsure what to do, Syflay comes out of the shadows, chuckling lightly.  
"My apologies," he whispers, "here, hold my tail so you don't lose me again..."  
A little embarrassed, you grab the end of the slim tail and both of you step forth on your way.  
You scale up the hill, Sylfay moving in such a peculiar way he makes next to no tracks at all, stepping onto stones and tree roots and what not. It's fascinating to see him cover up literally every single track he makes by a simple circular movement of his foot whenever he lifts it from the ground that spreads the snow over his footprint. You are still able to tell, but it definitely makes the track less obvious and mainly not telling who had made it. Interesting.  
You walk for about an hour, careful to follow Syflays example of track obscuring, though you're not nearly as good at it as he is. Finally, you make it to a wall, an enormously high wall made of entire tree trunks, tightly tied together and enhanced with cut stones at the base. Looking left, from where you came, you look up to see the tower, now all its windows lit up, silhouettes walking by or standing in them, looking around. Syflay squats to be eye to eye with you, grabbing you with his hands to pull you closer.  
"Scaling this wall requires agility that I don't think you posses. For that, Syflay shall carry you for a moment."  
Before you can agree or disagree, Syflay lifts you up bridal style with his lower arms and jumps up, grabbing onto the thick ropes tying the poles together and scaling up, absolutely silent. Sometimes he stops, even his breath silencing, then resumes. Soon he jumps over the top, dropping you on your feet on the wallwalk and in the same second grabbing a guard standing there and forcing something to his face, muffling his startled cries. Soon the guard goes limp and Syflay swiftly pushes him against the parapet, hiding him from plain sight.  
"No worries," he says, grabbing onto you again, "he is only asleep. Let us continue..."  
Syflay jumps down from the wallwalk, onto a rooftop, swiftly running across it. He jumps onto a few more roofs, Sometimes quickly getting down, all of his movements bare of sound. You can't imagine how he even does this, but it seems every move he makes he puts extra strength into softening the weight of his body, like catching a water balloon into hands moving slightly by the balls trajectory so it doesn't pop. It just now comes to you Syflay must be quite strong to be able to balance every move of his like so. and very experienced, though you know that probably wasn't so hard for him to acquire...  
Looking around you see all these small houses seem like barracks and weapon or ammunition stores. One of the way more loud buildings you run by seems to be a bar. Everything looks to be built only years ago.  
You run to another wall, this time one made of stone and iron, old and tall. Syflay has no trouble scaling it, landing onto a brattice and swiftly jumping inside an open window above.  
Inside, in a hall of sort, Syflay quickly moves and hides right behind the back of a Horshtockian guard. You can smell his foul odor as he turns around, only for Syflay to quickly follow and stay behind his back. After a moment the soldier hums in thought and turns away again, walking off to continue his guard. Sylfay doesn't waste a second and runs off, down the hall, down two sets of stairs and out the window right into another window, framed with red velvet curtains.  
You find yourself in a far prettier house, with red carpets, paintings adoring the wallpaper covered walls, expensive furniture all around. The heavy smell of incense, trying to cover the even stronger smell of sweat and musk, hangs in the air, almost making you gag. Syflay also seems not to enjoy the smell, sniffling shortly before running forth and down more stairs. Somewhere off you hear loud bumping and yelling. At one point Syflay stops and hides behind a potted plant, as a horshtockian soldier, covered only in sweat and dirt, walks past and into one of the doors. Syflay makes a disgusted face before running further down the stairs until the walls around you are no longer covered with red wallpaper, just cold stone. Sylfay takes no longer than a minute picking a lock, walking through a few doors, everything as if he knew this place like the back of his four hands.  
Finally, he walks into a hall lined with metal doors. He look around, then gently puts you on the ground, walking forth slowly.  
"He should be here, hopefully..." he whispers as he looks into the visor of each door carefully. You want to help, looking into one of the visors, but what you see shakes you to the core. Inside a small stone cell, a naked cavedweller lays in the corner, motionless. The back turned to you is riddled with fresh lashes, the blood pooling under them. You can't say their gender, but from the sobs it's probably a woman... You close the visor, feeling sick to your stomach. What animals these people are is simply-  
You jump in shock as you see a huge Horstockian guard suddenly grab Syflay from the back, yelling a victorious "A-HA!" You grab the hilt of your sword, ready to stab, but Syflays laugh stops you. To your surprise, the Horstockian puts Syflay back on the ground, laughing along with him, and both Codelings shake hands.  
They speak in Horshtockian for a moment, something about Syflay stabbing him by reflex one of these days, then Syflay turns to you with a smile.  
"This is Vanio, by undercover man. You need not worry, sorry for scaring you." Relieved, you let go of your sword. Sylfay turns to him and asks a few questions, until the huge soldier points to one of the doors.  
"Your friend is kept here, just as I thought," Syflay says, urging you to come. "Vanio says the Remind is very problematic and won't give in to torture. Purpur wants him as her personal guard, but he is very uncooperative. They've kept him off of food or water, but Vanio sneaks him some every now and then." You arrive at the door. Carefully looking through the visor, you see Tzacl, kneeling in the middle of the room, his silent furious stare pointed at the wall. He has barely any clothes on, only rags, his exposed back and arms riddled with whip marks. His arms, including Grollom's, are drawn back, cuffed by the magic suppressors. He seems pitifully mistreated, but adamant, unbreakable. "Purpur seems to be losing her patience with him, and stars know what she'll do next... I'm not sure we can sneak him out of here without-"  
There's sudden voices approaching from upstairs. Syflay immediately goes silent, taking a careful stance. Vanio panics a little, quickly taking a hold of you two and showing you into one of the empty cells, next to Tzacls. It's a small enclosed space, the floor covered in filth. Just as he closes the door behind you, you hear a loud booming voice yelling at the friendly Horshtockian. They talk in their language a bit, then you hear the door to Tzacls cell opening. Syflay's hands land on you in the dimness of the room and he urges you to follow him, both of you pressing to the wall. A tiny hole in the wall allows you to see just enough of Tzacl and the Horshtockian.  
Tzacl doesn't react in the slightest. He doesn’t even twitch, not giving his captors the least bit of his attention, as if the wall he stared into was vastly more interesting and important. The Horshtockian is an enormous fat bastard, with two huge leather belts over his shoulder, his back covered with what looks like boar hide. The belts have various knives and vices on them. He must be the tormentor of this disgusting place.  
"So, you think 'bout offer?" he says in a deep voice. Tzacl gives no response whatsoever. "If you not work weth us, you regret. Offer won't stand for-ever."  
"I'D RATHER BE DEAD THAN SERVE SOMEBODY AS DISGUSTING, AS REVOLTING AND-"  
A hard kick to the ribs silences him, a painful grunt escaping his teeth. You can feel your marrow turning in nauseating feeling of helplessness. You want to save him. But you're afraid what consequences it'd have...  
The Horshtockian kicks him again, then punches him for good measure. Tzacls head hits one of the belts, then he hangs it down. You notice... somehow, he had caught something between his teeth it seems. "You would like dat. Ded ez too good for you." The Horshtockian squats to his level, his boots bloodied. "I give you more chance. Work for Purpur ez good. You good fighter, can haf many money from her. Why would you-"  
Suddenly Tzacl leaps up, forcing his head forward, and stabbing a knife he stole and holds in his teeth at the torturer. He jumps aside and the knife hits him in the hip, barely missing his vitals. Without even concerning about it first, he punches Tzacl to the ground roughly. The knife stays in his side as he repeatedly and mercilessly kicks and beats the downed skeleton. It's excruciating to watch and you can't help but cover your eyes. When the Horshtockian is finally done, he stands up with heavy angry huffs, then pulls the knife out, blood gushing out without him even wincing.  
"Now you done et," he growls, "vy blya suka-" He kicks into him again, just for good measure. "I done weth offer. You go work tomorrov, like oter girls."  
This seems to get Tzacl's attention. "LIKE OTHER G-GIRLS??!" The response he gets is another hard kick. Then, The Horshtockian leaves, slamming the door behind himself hard.  
Silence falls. Your whole body is filled with deep dread. Just to make it worse, panicked breathing and even sobs are heard from Tzacls lying figure.  
After a moment, the door opens. Vanio urges you out, that the coast is clear. Now that you try to move do your realize how frozen in shock you are and how tears are rolling down your face. Syflay doesn't seem too bad, probably much more used to this, but the moment he sees you his serious face changes into one of great worry.  
"Oh stars, are you okay Yarnus?!" He hugs you, "I-I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have brought you with me, I-" He sharply turns to Vanio. "Is there any way we can save the Remind??"  
Vanio stays silent for a while. He diverts his eyes, then rubs his chin thoughtfully. Finally he speaks, and from Syflays defeated look you see the answer was negative. Vanio speaks on, giving Syflay some hope, before he finally translates.  
"The torturer said tomorrow, but he doesn't have that power. It will take him at least till the day after to get permission from Purpurs, since she's busy now. Till then he'll be safe, taken care of by our friend here. We can figure something out till then..."  
Silence falls. Heavy, suffocating silence. The Horshtockian looks very sad he can't help you, then walks over to the door, unlocking it as he speaks. Syflay gently lets go of you.  
"Vanio says you can still talk to him if you want to. I... I think there is a chance to get him out of here tonight but- it would be very risky. Not just for us. If they apprehend us, our whole cause might be endangered..." 

Tears still fall from his sockets as Yarnus wipes his face with the scarf. "Hĕ neēds me. He needs tõ know he’s not alone." His magic is almost painful to hold back much longer. As soon as the Horshtockian opens the door he rushes in. The entire room lights up briefly as his magic wildly returns to his eyes. The two outside are briefly blinded and surprised at what happens next.  
Despite his magic returning Yarnus was caught unaware by a swift kick from Tzacl. The blow had been aimed level with the crotch of a standard horshtockian, but for the much smaller skeleton it caught him square in the chest sending him flying backwards. Vanio caught the boney projectile with ease and set him down, holding him steady.  
"Let… me… gø…" Yarnus wheezed out as he fought to regain his posture. The familiar voice reached the figure on the ground and it stiffened.  
"NO… NO… NOT HIM… NO…" Tzacl twisted around to see Yarnus being held back by the other guard. "YOU FILTHY CREATURES! RELEASE HIM AT ONCE! I’LL… I’LL…"  
Yarnus was released at once and nearly ran to the prone skelton. Sliding up next to him he lifted the scarred skull into his lap. Tears mixed with blood from the earlier fight as Yarnus worked on cleaning his wounds.  
"I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I shøûld have cāme sooner. We were ąlmóst too late."  
"WE? DID YOU FIND THA- THAT BUMBLING BUFFOON FIRST. NOW WE’RE ALL STUCK HERE. YOU- YOU SHOULDN’T HAVE COME." His sockets welled up with tears as he tried to look away. "I WASN’T WORTH… THIS"  
"Yes you arë!" Yarnus forced his face back to look the other skeleton eye to eye. "I consĭder you family, onē of my own. Thērē’s no way I could hāve left yòu to thįs place! I plannėd ōn rèscuĩng yóu along wîth the other slaves, bũt įt looks like our plans may have tò chänge."  
"RESCUE ME? YOU AND WHAT ARMY?"  
"We call ourselves the Coalition of Unification." The strange voice is quiet and positioned in a way that Tzacl can’t see no matter how much he tries to turn his head. "Your friend has been very helpful in strengthening our numbers. Soon we will be able to mount an attack on the Purple Demon herself. We only need more time, and I’m afraid having her most recent purchase go missing would raise her suspicions."  
Yarnus could feel the deep growl shake his femurs. "JUST WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE! YOU ARE NO MATCH TO THESE BEASTS. IF IT WA-UMF KEKTY WAH…" The rest of his rant was cut off with the scarf wadded into his mouth courtesy of Yarnus.  
"We don’t hăvë tįme for détails. Vânio said it will täke ă whõle day béfòre théy’ll… do anything with you." He released his hold on the others jaw and removed the makeshift gag. "Syflay, dôes Vănio havė the keys to these cuffs? No matter what we dö, hë’ll neéd all the ênergy he can get for thê next few days. I know we could buy us all somé tĭmë íf we símply prevent Pùrpŭr from knowing whât happened tônight." Yarnus helped the currently silent Tzacl up into a sitting position. "After all… d e ą d men tell no tales." 

Tzacls bloodied head moves up to face you, then, a sly cruel smile creeps across his face. He chuckles darkly, then lays back down, still very exhausted despite his glee.  
"YES, YESS," he nods, "KILL THAT BASTARD. KILL HIM GOOD. GIVE HIM THE MOST EXCRUCIATING DEATH YOU MAY. MAKE HIM REGRET THE DAY HE WAS BORN." Syflay smirks wickedly, folding all four arms and finally coming into Tzacls view.  
"I like the way you think, Remind. I agree that killing him might be a good way to keep you safe, for now..." He turns around to Vanio and asks him something. When he responds, Syflay turns back to you with a serious look in his sly eyes.  
"It seems like the torturer has the cuff keys. It seems he's personally responsible for you... If we kill him, you'll be assigned a new soldier. He's a cruel sadist, much stronger, but not as smart. That should play into our cards nicely, should we decide to have you as our inside man..."  
Tzacl nods, smiling despite the poor state he's in. "I SURVIVED WORSE THAN THIS. AND WHILE I WOULD RATHER ESCAPE THIS CURSED PLACE NOW... I WILL HELP YOU ANY WAY I CAN." Syflay smiles at this, coming closer and gently placing one hand on a spot he deems the least injured.  
"You're a brave man. Your pain will not be in vain."  
It's then that Vanio gets your attention, warning you that you shouldn't stay longer than you need. Syflay nods at him, turning to you and Tzacl. "We must go. Hopefully, we'll be able to kill your tormentor. I'll get you the key to your freedom, and later come to give you any instruction we might have.  
"I UNDERSTAND..." Tzacl leans his head into your shoulder, almost like a hug of sort. It's only a light touch, but so strangely loving from him you can't help but be a little taken aback. "KILL HIM FOR ME," he whispers hatefully, but then adds, in a softer voice, "BUT STAY SAFE..."  
You hug him back, keeping in mind his injuries. He seems to stiffen up, but then relaxes. You hold him, wishing you could just take him out of this place immediately... but just knowing he's alive and you'll be able to keep him that way keeps your spirits high.  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I figured this chapter would be the best time to link my little one-shot to the story. If you had been missing Tzacl in the last few chapters you might enjoy my "Somnofeelya" smut. If that's not what you want, Tooth also has a side story that isn't attached to this story, but is something that could happen in The Void, called "Blizzard Ember".


	58. To Kill a Horshtockian Guard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's a death in this chapter. Not that anyone will miss him. We won't even know his name.

Syflay has to hold you to get you out of the room, then both of you go further down the hall, escaping through a narrow window at the end of it. Once out in the snow again, Syflay revert to his sneak mode, grabbing onto you to hold you like before.  
"We'll have to find the fiend as soon as possible..." With that he jumps up the building, scaling it with ease, until he gets onto a rooftop of a smaller annex building. He runs across it, silent as the wind, then stops at its end.  
The Horshtockian torturer is swiftly walking between the buildings, holding onto his injured hip.  
"He'll probably want to take care of it first..." Syflay whispers to you. Just like he says, the torturer knocks on a door, another fellow coming to open the door for him. They talk for a bit till another, this time female Horshtockian, comes out with a bandage. The torturer takes his belts and boar hide off, then his chestplate, and sits at the stairs of the house while the female begins to fix him up, quite sloppily. As if he wasn't literally stabbed, he sits there calmly, smacking his lips impatiently. He asks something, but is denied, a little angry.  
"He wants to have a smoke," Syflay whispers, "but the nurse said no." You watch the disgusting man as he wait until his bandage is ready, then thanks her halfheartedly, gets up and begins to leave. The nurse seems angry, coming back inside and slamming the door.  
You follow the torturer, who didn't bother to put his armour back on, holding all his things in one arm as he makes his way through the buildings. Syflay keeps him in sight at all times while remaining completely hidden, waiting for the right moment. Killing him in plain sight would be very dangerous. Better wait till he's alone...  
He sits before the pub, the building very loud with Horshtockian yelling and singing. He pulls out a crudely rolled up cigar, but a man by the entrance slaps it out of his hand. They yell at one another for a while, ven shove into each other, but eventually the torturer takes his things, picks up his blunt and grumpilly leaves. You follow him, further to the borders of the fort. "Oh wow, could we really be this lucky...?" Syflay whispers as the torturer shoves aside a guard by one of the smaller entrances at the outer wall. He enters, goes up the stairs, then stands on the wallwalk, leaning onto the crenels of the parapet and smoking calmly, looking out into the darkness.  
"Yarnus..." Syflay whispers, "the gods are smiling onto us tonight. We couldn't have asked for a better opportunity." He sneaks closer, up an adjacent building, until he stands on a rooftop above him, mere meters away.  
"It will be better if you stay here. You may behold my amazing abilities..." Syflay smirks slyly as he gently puts you down. You hold onto the house chimney and watch as the assassin gets to his craft. He sneaks closer and closer to the unknowing Horshtockian, soundless, like a beast about to pounce its prey.  
Then, like a springloaded weapon, the grasslander jumps and kicks the torturer right to the back of his head. A low, almost comical grunt is all he lets out as he falls over the parapet and down to his untimely death.  
just as quickly as he jumped in, Syflay jumps back and stands before you proudly, bowing jokingly.  
"And that's how it's done, folks," he chuckles slyly, "now, we'll get our steed and find him before anybody else can notice..."  
As he says, he does. You're once again carried over to the part of the wall you came in through, the sleeping Horshtockian still laying there. Syflay jumps over him and scales down the wall before running off into the trees. going downhill is a lot faster and it's not long until you find your steed, patiently grazing the frozen grass and waiting for you. Syflay sits you up on the l'ors and you gallop through the trees, riding around the fort until you arrive at the part where you've thrown the Horshtockian.  
"We'll just finish the job and take his keys, I'll quickly carry them to Vanio and we're out of here. It'll be a piece of-"  
Syflay stops, stopping the steed firmly. He stares at the spot the Horshtockian landed in, bloodied snow all around. But no Horshtockian.  
It's that second that heavy gasping catches your attention from the side, too little too late. Suddenly the entire animal is tipped over with a mighty push of the Horshtockian, falling onto its side, right over Syflays leg, incapacitating him momentarily. You roll off easily and land on your legs, squated but alert, as the giant soldier stares at you, grabbing at his chest with two arms and gasping for breath. It seems the fall has done something to his breathing. He isn't capable of speaking, but you can see all his emotion in his face. And despite being heavily injured he's not about to go down easy. He is pissed.

The shear force needed to knock over the l’ors tells Yarnus that he doesn't want to get hit by this guy. He really doesn't want to test the strength of his breastplate despite how well it held against Tzacls kick.  
"I agrèe," he says as he draws out his sword. "Fållíng to ŏnes death ĩs a shamēful way to die."  
The torturer begins to twitch and breath in little spurts. Flecks of blood fly out of his mouth as he attempts to laugh in a cruel and mad way. Truly the sight of such a small being, even a Remind, versus someone of his caliber would strike him as hilarious.  
The pause didn't last long before he lunged at the small skeleton. Yarnus was nearly caught off guard by his speed. The sword deflected the arm aimed at his head while he attempted a blow to the bandaged side.  
Hoping to put space between them Yarnus ran a bit away… only to trip on the unfamiliar terrain. Looking back he saw the Horshtockian searching the area. Syflay was nowhere to be seen. It didn't really surprise him the spy was gone. He trusted that he was still around though. Somewhere, hidden in the darkness.  
Yarnus however was not a monster meant for darkness. His eyes were fully active and his body glowed softly, ready to flee or fight. His foot however was not as cooperative.  
Seems that root system of the trees made for safe havens for the raven like birds from before. They were also just right to catch his small foot. Panic seized him as his predicament was noticed by the Horshtockian. His approach was painfully slow. No need to rush since his prey was conveniently caught.  
Yarnus fumbled with his belt to find the capsules he'd been given. Neither were the perfect solution but in that action his foot slipped out of its confines. Yarnus looked up in shock. His attacker was still sauntering up to him, holding the arm that was hit and softly mumbling something in his own language.  
With both blue capsules in his hand Yarnus looked to the tree and back to his attacker.  
"I'm impressed thát you're stīll standing. First thĕ fåll, then thĕ pøison óf my blade. You might nòt ēven nėed these antidõtes." Playfully he tossed one forward in the snow. It landed without activating. Perhaps it needed a hard surface.  
If the oaf didn't fall for that ruse, the other plan was to have him ram into the tree. To manage that he'd have to get him angry enough to charge.  
"I tėll yoū what, I'll màke yöu à deål. Kneel before me and I wõn't kill yoŭ." The disdain in his voice was practically dripping. "If not, I'll make yoûr déath as painless as pŏssible." 

The Horshtockian chuckles lightly, but his smile slowly changes into a serious scowl. He is still gasping for air lightly, holding onto his arm and side. Then he slowly leans down and picks up the capsule...  
Only to chug it hard behind himself, right in the face of the hiding assassin. Syflay yelps in shock, then starts coughing, falling down into the snow and trying his best to not give in to the potent sleeping dust. His attempts soon fail and he falls on his face in the snow.  
The Horshtockian turns to you, his face twisted in a wicked smile. He points to you with one free arm, squinting his eyes hatefully.  
"I tell you offer. I beet the shet out you and I lock you up with friend. Den I fack you both in ass to ded with comrades." He nods his head to Syflay, "he we drell holes into knees and elbovs intil say who sent, den we kill everyone there. Den Purpur give me big money." He reaches into the pockets of his pants, the only clothes besides shoes he has on, and takes out four wickedly spiked brass knuckles, putting one on each hand. "But maybe I beet you to ded right now insted..."  
You feel your soul beating out of your chest. This man is proving to be much greater risk than anything you've encountered before. You feel your pouch to access the situation. There's still two flash grenades and one sleeping capsule in your hand. The l'ors has now finally gotten on its legs, trotting around, unnerved and confused. 

Syflay underestimated this man, either that or he had extremely good luck. But now with the spy unconscious it would be suicide to use his eye blast. Running away wasn't a good option either, both Tzacl and Syflay would be tortured. The evil man was still taking his time, using intimidation as his first weapon of choice. He did the only thing he could think of.  
Yarnus laughed.  
"I’ve fŏūght with the demŏn that feëds õn yõur cömrades. I've ran alongsĩde the cànimorphs. I've stolēn the brĩbe ŏf Krakøgröw änd gazèd into the eyes of ă f a l l e n g o d." His eyes grew darker with every statement. Every one of them ringing true.  
"If you wănt to have a chance agaïnst mê…" he noticed the slight confusion of the others face as he took a step away from the tree. His voice lifted to a childlike mocking, "You'll hāvē to be able tö catch me~!" Magic pulsed through his legs as he bolted into the woods.  
Yarnus knew his pursuer would be slowed by the trees so he made sure to keep tabs on him. If he ran too fast he might decide to settle for just Syflay. If he ran too slow… well that had already been detailed to him.  
The problem was Yarnus needed a good line of sight to use his slingshot. One of the two flash capsules should at least stop the monster in his tracks long enough to hit him with the sleeping powder. 

You run through the roots and shrubs, careful not to trip or get your foot caught again. The Horshtockian is running after you, growling angrily, not able to shout with his breath impeded. His arms are at the ready to beat you to bloody pulp the moment he gets the chance.  
You run to a small clearing, bare of trees, when you stop. You realize you're still awfully close to the enemy base. Behind you is a tower full of watchful eyes, should they spot you you could get into heaps more trouble. You should also keep the Horshtockian from alerting his-  
You only barely jump aside as both right arms of the soldier come swinging at you. He hits the tree, the thick bark coming off in a shower of splinters, the torturer a little confused where you've gone. You quickly take advantage of this, running behind him and suddenly a low branch a few trees away catches your eye. Of course, the trees! If you could get up one, it would give you enough distance to hopefully use your capsules...  
The Horshtockian finally realizes you managed to slip away from him, turning around sharply. If you want to bolt for the branch, it's now or never. 

The unfamiliar dark had put them in just the wrong spot. Yarnus had thought he'd ran away from the nearby tower. Forward was no longer an option, up was. He lept for the low branch and began to climb as fast as possible. The Horshtockian was tall enough to reach the branch without much of a stretch, but the real question would be if he was willing to climb?  
Yarnus was a good ways up when the entire tree shook. The impact of the brutes body nearly knocked him off. The second caused the trunk to crack and groan. A third might even uproot the whole tree. There was not much thought put into it as Yarnus jumped from one tree to the next.  
The rustling from the third blow covered the sound of his movement. Though the foliage was thick he could see the Horshtockian backing away and squaring up to charge the tree again. Another nearby tree had one side bare of branches, perhaps from a lightning strike. It would be a perfect spot to get a clear shot.  
He made his move as the first tree lost its one-sided battle with the Horshtockian. The effort it took to down the helpless arboreal was starting to wear on the Horshtockian. He slowly stalked around looking for signs of his prey. Yarnus was seated on a bare branch that had just enough room to prep his sling. He'd only have one shot so he decided on the sleeping capsule. If it was strong enough to down someone who was probably resistant, like Syflay, it should be enough for the brute. 

Carefully, taking your time since you can't afford to make a mistake, you load the capsule into the sling. You focus your eyes, taking a deep breath...  
The Horshtockian looks around, breathing raggedly and coughing lightly, looking for you in the branches of the fallen tree. When he doesn't see you he starts to look around frantically, maybe even a bit scared...?  
His empty eyesockets finally find you sitting on the branch, his whole frame jumping a bit in shock. It's in that very second that you let go of the projectile and it flies out like a lightning bolt.  
With the aid of your eyes, the Horshtockian never had a chance to dodge it. The capsule hits him straight in the face, right into his right eye which ruptures on the impact. The Horshtockian lets out a harsh gasp, the blood in his lungs audible in his hoarse voice, as he falls back, his face gushing with blood and eye humour. He falls on his back into the snow, reaching his hands up to his face in pain, gasping and wheezing and coughing, trying to say something, probably curses in his language. Just a moment later his legs stop burying in the snow in pain and his arms begin to go limb. It's not long after that he falls asleep.  
You sit up in the branches, your soul still beating in your chest. Undoubtedly, you've just escaped a very bad fate. But... what do you do now? With both the torturer and Syflay asleep, your only mean of transport the huge l'ors, Tzacl waiting for the key to his cuffs and an entire city full of Horshtockians that'll apprehend you on sight... you have to find a way to settle this situation fast. 

Things are quiet after the ordeal. Slow sputtering breaths are heard below as well as some chatting in the distance. The sounds of the struggle surely gained the attention of the watchtower, but since the Horshtockian was without a voice it could have been mistaken as an animal.  
Yarnus wasted no time and carefully dropped to the ground. Sword in hand he approached the slumbering oaf. He could just leave him to drown in his own blood, but there was a chance he'd survive and that was unacceptable.  
"I promised a paìnless deäth. Yoú wõn't feel this at all." He raised his sword and brought it down on his neck. Not much happened. New blood pulsed from the wound but the body remained as it was. Again he struck, grinding against bone. Again puncturing the windpipe.  
The justiciar stepped back, slightly surprised that his foe hadn't dusted. The body twitched for what felt like an eternity until the flow of blood slowed to a steady seep.  
He had planned on taking the keys from a pile dust, not from a corpse. Not that the keys would be helpful now. Syflay was out cold and there was no way he could get back to Tzacl by himself. The death of the torturer would be the only thing that he could do tonight. Taking the keys now would mean the cuffs would remain on even longer. If they were lucky Vanio would be chosen for the replacement.  
Yarnus started retracing his path through the woods. Without a bloodthirsty cur on his tail perhaps he wouldn't get lost. He needed to find Syflay and the l’orse and figure out a way to get the taller skeletal onto the even larger mount. He used to have a way with creatures. Perhaps the l’orse could be convinced to kneel down.  
His soul sank a bit thinking about Tzacl waiting for the keys. At least news of his torturers death should reach him in a day or sooner. 


	59. Adal Can You Hear Me?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's art and a side story that goes with this chapter.  
> There's no spoilers, but the art might be considered NSFW. It's just a random boob really.
> 
> https://yarnusthegreat.tumblr.com/post/162270840629/how-many-days-had-it-been-had-a-month-passed

  


You find your way back quite easy, since the Horshtokcian tracks are huge and very visible. You find Syflay, sleeping in the snow, and the l'ors, calmly grazing close by. You lift up the spy, leaning him on a tree, then approach the steed.  
She raises her head, her eyes calm. You try to talk to her the way you'd talk to a horse, but she doesn't seem to respond. She does however seem to understand your raised hands and soothing voice as friendly and steps forward to you. You pet her soft snout gently, asking her to lay down. When that doesn't work, you look her in the eyes and use a little bit of your mind magic, just to get the point across. She lays down obediently, folding her legs under her in a strange manner, very differently than any steed you saw before. Her knees jug out on the sides, her hooves hidden under her frame. What an odd creature...  
With some effort you lift the spy up onto her back, then sit up yourself before nudging her sides. She stands up and you have to hold yourself and the assassin not to fall off. A bit unsure what to do exactly you tug at the reins and to your pleasant surprise she begins to trot, exactly the way you want her to.  
Without much input from you she seems to know which way to go. She goes by to the river and upstream down the hill. Her back sways with you lightly, the darkness around you soothing to your tired eyes...  
You find yourself on a boat back home. It's a galley except small, only a little bigger than a rowboat. You sit at the back of it, staring forth into the stormy horizon. The flickering lights of the lightning bolts soon turn from white to colourful, and the man with shattered teeth sits before you in the boat. He grins wickedly, completely unmoving. A flock of seagulls take off from the water surface and some fly directly in front of your face, the rustling of feathers so real... The man speaks, his mouth the only thing that moves.  
"They can’t play baseball, they don’t wear sweaters, they’re not good dancers, they don’t play drums..." His voice, a little less terrible to listen to than usually, is strangely melodic but without a change of pitch. Then his smile slowly falls into a serious look, even the flashes from his eyes dimming and slowing down their colour change. His voice changes into a deep rumble, barely even understandable. " the place is not cursed. it is merely tainted with bad decisions of a broken man... " For reason unknown to you, your eyes begin to water. You feel the hot moisture in your eyes drip down your cheeks, your breath shortening. The man grins at you, getting up but always facing you directly. He steps from the boat onto the water surface, his neck bending into unnatural angles, his flickering bespeckled eyes never leaving yours.  
" MIND YOUR HEAD AHEAD. HEAD TO THE H̩̰̐̑ͣ̆̉͐̚E̩̗͚ͧ̿͒̽A̘ͫ̽ͯ̔̈̚͢D̫͎̟̺̤ ̩̖̰̑̊̌ͥͭ͐̆͜R̞ͭ̋ͤ̂̈ͮͨO̴̬̝͚̮̭͓̒̒ͫͩ̄̀̂ͅO̫͍̹͎̼ͣ̔ͥM̰̪̗. HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA- "  
You fall through the boat, through the water, nothing feeling real. Above you see the Isle of Monsters, from beneath, in a way you can't even describe. As if you could see through all that is solid, only the surfaces facing you visible. You fall and fall and fall through the darkness, your eyes filled with tears...  
Your falls begins to soften, then finally stops. You find yourself in a soft hold. Big bulky arms wrap around you carefully, warmth and love enveloping you. You hold onto the soft parka, afraid to let go. Gentle hand pets you, cooing to you, and even though you can't make out a single word, you feel safe...  
Finally you wake up. Opening your eyes, you find yourself enveloped in darkness, only a soft blue glow under you. Huge hands gently slide up and down your back through a thick cloth. It's a while later you realize the darkness is caused by being enveloped under Omega's parka. Once you start to move, light appears with the sound of the zip opening.  
You poke your head out, finding yourself in a strange metal rooms, walls made out of small movable parts like...  
Oh, you're in Masheenka's cabin it seems! But it looks even better than before. Her metal is silvery and white, spotless, the parts even smaller and more mobile and nimble it seems. Omega is laying there on his back, pressed lightly to her soft wall, with you on his belly. Looking to him you meet with his friendly smile, soon treated to a soft smooch.  
"well, heheh, good mornin lill guy," he greets you, petting you softly. "ya slept so hard i was gettin worried if ya were ever gonna wake up! i'm glad yer up tho, we got a lot of catchin up to do ey?" 

His hands move up to wipe away the tears but find that his sockets are bone dry. Strange, he remembered he was crying for some reason… or was that a dream? Bits and pieces remain, strangely familiar and oddly… calming?  
"I guess I might have gotten somė sleêpīng powdėr on me. At leāst I dĩdn’t get a facĕ full like Syflay." The waking world was still registering to him as he shot up in shock. "Høw long háve I bėen oůt? I thought ĭt wõùld be a few days bëfore she was reädy." 

Omega hugs you closer, snuggling your face into his chest and giving your scalp gentle smooches.  
"ya were out for about a day and a half my guy. at least, that's what that lanky assassin dude said, soufflé was it?" He sits up, leaning on the flesh wall. Masheenka exhales deeply, but stays silent, perhaps sleeping. "we arrived this mornin. i slept the whole way here n then some after i found ya sleepin at the tavern. its sometime after noon rn i think..." He smooches you again. "maiden said ya went out to purpurs, but it looks like ya got into some trouble. yer lucky the moose ya rode knew its way home. the moose lady was real proud of it n it got some kinda honoring title i think? maiden said somethin along those lines." Omega chuckles, rubbing your back through the parka. "the folk from the m laboratories went with us n are havin a good time with the locals. ultra hasn't showed up, but it should be around. man, we made a shit ton of weapons n armor, like, several hundred pieces. honestly it's weird to me like, it was as if cometa was expectin all this. we had all the casts n metals ready and..." Omega yawns, opening his mouth wide for you to stare in. "uhh, what was i sayin?? oh yeah, cometa came too. i think she went to meet up with the queen of this place or somethin."  
"Actually, I am right out here." Cometa's calm yet grumpy voice sound from just outside the door. Omega raises his head up as if he could possibly spot her through the window, then laughs.  
"oh, well, waddya know huh? alright, we slept for ages now, lets get up ey?"  
Omega carefully sits up, zipping you out of his parka and standing you on the ground. The metal of the living train is warm under your feet, her magic seeping into you still... it feels nice and calming. Omega stretches as you come to the door, having some trouble figuring out how to open them. They were changed to open by sliding them alongside the wall.  
Just outside you see the old lizard, sitting there, the small book with dried bloodstains in her hands. She turns a page with her dull claws, then snaps it closed, handing it to you without even looking at you.  
"Translating this would be a waste of my time. It's full of religious nonsense." You take the book, listing thought it, meaning to find the image of the bespeckled man and show her... but you can't seem to find it anymore.  
Looking up you see you're in the camp, which is full of busy folk, carrying around weapons and armour from a huge wagon connected to Masheenka's coupler. You run a little way off and turn to see the train in her entire beauty, amazed at her new look.  
Made out of shiny silver metal, she is a beauty to behold. Instead of bare metal plates, she is made of many tiny parts that hold and move together in beautiful harmony, creating curious patterns as she idly moves them around. Her wheels have retractable spikes, one of her front wheels showing and hiding them as she sleeps, her enormous head actually laid on the ground for once, her eyes closed. Her roof has what looks like a huge pneumatic limb, ended with three digits closed into a fist right now. A dozen more various doodads and modules are on her sides and back, most of them you can't really figure out what they're for. She looks absolutely gorgeous, her clean coat shimmering in the light of day like the most precious treasure in the world.  
Your amazed smile is interrupted by the sound of clapping hooves and a royal fanfare. Turning around you see a huge ornate carriage, with six white high olen steeds. Richly clothed grasslanders walk by, one of them opening the door. It's obvious to you even before she comes out this is the queen arriving, here into the dirt and mud of the camp. U-oh, is she mad with you for going to Purpur's? You already put your royal tone on but she and her cohort walk past you without giving you even the slightest bit of attention, except for the prince who gives you a funny, almost a little dumb smile as he walks after his mother.  
The queen stops a few meters before the train, simply standing there and waiting. Cometa raises her head to her, her eyes appearing uninterested in the royal grasslander. After a while the queen speaks.  
"You are quite audacious to not greet my highness. Does royal blood mean nothing to you?" Cometa stares in silence for a moment, then grins, thought it can't really be called a smile as much as a cheeky grimace.  
"I'm the older one here. You should be greeting me, young lady." For a while it's silent, the court surprised and unsure what to say to this unorthodox treatment of their queen. After a while of uncomfortable silence, you notice a smile, slowly growing on the queen's face. Looking to Cometa, you see the same on her face, until her blocky teeth are visible from her scaly lips, unable to hold back a chuckle.  
"You old hag!" The queen chuckles and Cometa burst out into a laugh. "Where have you been all these years?"  
"Same place as always!" Cometa says as she jumps off the train fender, slowly coming to meet the Marble grasslander. "Why haven't you showed up?!"  
"I have a kingdom to run here! You think that's easy?" Both old women meet and the queen leans down to hug Cometa as an old friend, with all four arms, much to the confusion and even slight discomfort of the high court. The prince seems really confused, even looking to you, as if you had the answers.  
"Nah, it's alright, I understand..." The queen pulls away, holding Cometa's old hands in her own.  
"You haven't changed a bit..." She sighs from the laugh, a bit sadder. "It's like you don't age at all..."  
Cometa smiles sadly. "I'm glad you're... I'm glad to see you, Tereza." She chuckles. "And I'm glad to hear you're taking good care of my boney friend over there." The queen rolls her eyes, getting up and letting go of the lizard's hands.  
"You gave me no choice, really..." She frowns a little. "But if I wasn't sure you'd help me out with all your technical hocus pocus, I would never have endangered my city with this foolish heroics." Cometa folds her arms, adapting back her calm grumpy look.  
"Are you going to lend us your army?" Tereza frowns deeper.  
"You know I can't. It's too much of a risk." Cometa shrugs.  
"Right... sure." Uncomfortable silence falls, until the queen throws her arm to her court, saying something to them along the lines of treating Cometa and her people like royalty. With that she comes back into her carriage and rides off, while the hunched lizard just stands there, hands in the pockets of her coat. She sighs lightly and turns back to the train, just a Omega appears in the door, looking at her, a bit puzzled.  
"what is goin on here?" She doesn't bother to answer, so he turns his confused gaze to you. 

"Old friènds?" Yarnus shrugged. "I hād a fëeling that something was betwêén the twö ōf thëm." He was glad to see the queen had softer side than the one she put up to him before.  
"Thè qũeen wants to protect her city more than she wishės to take down Purpur. I understand her pôsition a little bĩt more now thät I'vė sèen it mysêlf." Cometa seemed to slump a bit and then busy herself inspecting one of the modules sticking out of Masheenka.  
"I'm not sure ĩf Syflay häs mentioned it, but I saw whàt lòoked like nĕw bùildīngs wīthįn hĕr town. Liké her numbêrs are quickly rising or sómethìng. I'm sure that mîght còuld be côncerning fõr thê qúeen." Yarnus strode forward and stretched. The belt of his kilt threatened to slide off one hipbone and he had to stop and adjust it.  
"It hasn't hit mè yet, būt I shõuld probably ėàt something since I'vê bėen õut fõr at lèast a day." He smiles up at Omega. "Hōw about wé gėt sométhing to eat and I show you arŏund a littlē." 

"sounds great lill man," Omega smiles at you sweetly, "where do we get sum grub here?"  
You rub your chin in thought, looking around, until your eyes land on the tavern. It should have food, and if not, it should have somebody who'd lead you to food. You grab Omega's huge hand and lead him behind you to the stone and wood building.  
Opening the door you're a bit surprised to see only a few people inside, huddled around a table. There's Maiden, standing in the head of the table and pointing something out on a map, Afnun and Aghata sitting next to one another, then Snork, looking a bit annoyed, and on the very edge is Syflay, appearing deep in thought. There's also the Crimson Horseman and three more Codelings, two grasslanders and a rather small cavedweller, judging by their armour commanders of the new army.  
As you come in, everybody lifts their heads to you and immediately begin greeting you. Syflay gets up from his chair and comes to meet you at the door, taking your hands in his.  
"Yarnus! I am ever so glad to see you awake!" He kneels before you, appearing very regretful. "Oh Yarnus, please forgive me. I should have been more careful..."  
Maiden turns to the remainder of the people at the table, pointing to omega with one hand.  
"This is the other Remind I told you about, Omega. He is very strong and should prove a good soldier." Omega laughs nervously, raising his hands.  
"uhh, ok wait up, i dunno if i'm cut out for fightin. i mean, i can pack a good punch but i ain't really into the whole 'stab stab', 'neck twist' business," he explains, gesturing illustratively. "i mean, i'm all for killin that purple bitch just... can i just like carry stuff? or wash clothes? i'm good at washing clothes..." Nobody has an answer. Omega's voice slowly comes down to a mumble and he looks away, a little ashamed. 

Yarnus is a little taken aback at Omegas support. He had thought the big guy might not want to get involved with this mess. "Omegas strength liės in sūpport. Shoŭld he choose to go with us, hĕ’d be môst valůablē guīdìng the önes wė rĕscŭe." Yarnus squeezed his hand reassuringly before addressing the others. "Hē’s also anõthér one that Masheénką will lĩsten to ìf we use hér to transpôrt the weak ănd injurêd back home." He paused and looked up to his large friend, "I knôw you’ve béén ąble transfer magíc tŏ me bèforè. Dö yŏū thînk thât coůld work as somĕ sort of healing?" 

Omega looks to you, his eyes going bright. "oh shit yer right lill man!" He look to the others, then grabs for Syflay, who obviously had to fight his instinct really hard not to stab the huge 'cavedweller' in response. His hand around the grasslanders upper arm lights up with his magic and everyone just stares in amazement. Syflay looks a little shaken, but Omega doesn't realize this, wanting to show everyone he can be useful.  
"ya see?" he points to his hand, "i can be healin y'all!" He finally lets go of Syflay who rubs the inflicted arm, surprise apparet in his eyes. Omega steps back a bit, a little nervous at the curious stares. "i mean, i can right? i'll park myself in masheenka n take care of the injured folk instead of, ya know, making more injured folk myself..."  
Maiden looks to the others, a smile growing on his face. Before he exclaims what a great idea this is, he turns back to Omega, his look apologetic.  
"We're sorry for cornering you there," he says, though the commanders don't really look too concerned. "I am simply... My mind has been set on this battle only for days now. It seems I am starting to think about people more as tools of war than, well, people... my apologies."  
Meanwhile Syflay takes Omegas hand to inspect it curiously, which the big man lets him, friendly and open as always. Maiden gently tugs at Syflay's tail with his own, then invites you to come plan with them. 


	60. Strashnyy Golos

  


"It’s been centurîes sincè my ląnds saw any sort of war. I mìght nõt be able tò gíve mŭch īnpũt, büt I mīght còuld see something in a dĭfferent light." Yarnus sat himself down while Omega placed his hands on the smaller ones shoulders.  
"hey, point me in tha way o some grub. can’t have my little man here waste away."  
Once Omega left for the kitchen the small cavedweller speaks up, "Jurst howr old are your? Your loork not a speck orver… your knrow… rutten arge."  
The other commanders remain silent, with only Aghata not refraining from a silly grin. It was a rather odd question, but the oddest reaction was from Maiden and Syflay who tried to look like they weren’t hiding anything.  
"I wàs adoptéd by the king when I càme of age and had been studying my lands history for ten or fifteen years. I wásn’t around įn the times of war if thát’s whāt you’re askíng."  
Omega came back quickly with his hands full of a cylindrical food. "dude. these hotdogs are weird. they r like big piggies n blankies." 

You sit at the planning table, you, Omega, Maiden, Snork, Syflay, Afnun, Aghata, the Crimson chief and the three commanders. Omega gives everybody the strangely conceived hot dog and Maiden begins his introductory talk.  
"Dear friends," he says, bowing lightly to you all, "despite the enemy base being heavily fortified and their numbers more than twice ours... we have certain advantages. Thanks to Syflay, we have been able to keep all of this in secrecy from Purpur. Furthermore, the Horshtockian army, in all their arrogance, do not believe we're a threat to them. They have no idea of our efforts and frankly don't even believe we would ever fight back in any way. That is our great advantage and we must take as much from it as we can." Everybody agrees, huddling together and the planning begins.  
It's a long process, filled with many dismissed ideas, estimates and Omega pretending not to be completely lost. Purpur's fort is very well known to Syflay, who explains its workings in great detail, which is very helpful. It also seems that Afnun knows a great deal about the workings of a Horshtockian army, almost as if he was in one at some point in his life.  
Since the fort is much too fortified, with its two towers, each with four ballistas and one large gunpowder canon, and its system of boilers, with which to pour flaming resin onto the besiegers, a direct siege is out of the question. Instead, it's necessary to take advantage of Purpur not even suspecting anything, set the table to our own needs and force her army to play by your own rules. This will mean a lot of preparation and carefully woven plans, but a lot of it is well prepared by Syflay and his network of spies. It is only a matter of setting up the trap and then putting things into motion.  
After many tiring hours of planning, the council of the Coalition comes with a six point plan.  
First, is the preparation. Between Tonrüka and the house of Purpur is a strip of hills, over which, on Purpurs side, is a large clear plain, perfect for battle. Under the hills, Syflay and his spies and assassins will prepare the battlefield to your advantage, with traps and hidden fortification for when your army shall fight from the hilltops. More importantly, there will be the need to unite the resistance inside the house of Purpur. Syflay has his inside men, but the main body of this resistance will be its slaves. This will be absolutely crucial later on in the plan.  
Secondly, there is a need to get rid of the towers. Their great firepower and range of sight could very well be the achilles heel of this entire operation. For that, Cometa and her workers will create flammables and explosives with which to at least temporarily incapacitate the towers, if not destroy them.  
Thirdly, there will be the first real attack. The House of Purpur has two routes through which supplies are coming in, and only a single water intake, from the river. Unlike a proper fort, the House of Purpur was not originally meant to be a fortified Horshtockian armada bastion. For that, when it came to be one, many things were not taken into question, such as water intake. There are no wells inside the fort. The plan is to seize both these routes and take all of their means of supply away from them. The river route will need the tower closer to the river destroyed and at least a hundred men to keep the spot tightly held. But the mountain pass can be held very well by putting considerably few ranged units on the high sides of the route. Additionally, mounted units will scout the parameter to alert about any secret supply attempts. Seizing both these choking points will put Purpur in a vice - either she sits in her fort and slowly starves or she rallies her men and rides to battle. Everybody at the table is fairly certain it won't take long for her to resort to this, not just because she won't have another choice, but because of the Horshtockian pride. They won't stand for this, and will want to punish the 'lesser races' for their insolence. And this will be the means of her own demise.  
At this point, the trap is perfectly set, ready for step four. The House of Purpur and it's thousand men will ride to battle, proud and arrogant. They will meet with the armada of the Coalition of Unification, as it stands at the hill tops, having not only the higher grounds but also the traps as aces up their sleeves. But it won't be this that defeats Purpur. It will be the resistance inside.  
Step five - a great revolt will take place at the House of Purpur, which will be much less equipped to suppress it with the bulk of its army battling outside. They will have to overthrow Purpur and either take her prisoner and stop her soldiers or, if she chooses to ride to battle, to take over her own fort, stop her supplying to the battle lines and prevent her from retreating, even using her own weapons against her.  
The final step is to prevent the army from fleeing into the woods, so they cannot regroup. All Horshtockian tribes have promised not to take any refugees of them, to apprehend them on sight and never let them build up their numbers again. With that, the horror that is the House of Purpur will finally be defeated.  
"Now," Syflay turns to you, "as you see, the revolt is the base stone on which this whole operation stands. And that's where we need you. You might... not do so well in battle," Syflay chuckles apologetically, "but you've proven yourself as an exceptional leader, a strong yet unsuspected warrior and mainly, a man who will know if there happens to be any traitors among the revolt. Should a word get out, even the slightest suspicion about the revolt, the whole plan will be ruined."  
"But this will come with great risk," Maiden says, putting a hand on your shoulder, his expression full of worry. "Should you be revealed, you will face fate worse than death... are you ready to take this kind of risk my friend?" 

"It wòuld be a fate âlreâdy shâred by many." The grim reality of war was starting to settle on his shoulders. Yarnus contemplated over the map. For a moment he was going to point out a flaw, but then remembered water flowed uphill in this wild world. He chewed on his thumb bone as he played the plan out in his head. The troops holding the supply lines are in the most dangerous position. They are not only going to be attacked first but need to be able to fight back hard enough to convince her that she needs to send more troops. Either that or…Yarnus put his finger down forcefully on the map, "Thê rĭverside tower nėèds to be utterly destroyed. Not at first, lēt them årm it, then takĕ it down wīth ås much show of forcê as possible. She’ll møbìlize mòre troops quîcker with a bit óf feár mixėd with her prìde. If we can just dįsăble thê sècond tŏwer we could üse it âgaīnst them."  
He settled back down in his seat as the commanders spoke amongst themselves. Omegas large hand crept its way around his own under the table as he leaned in.  
"do they really need ya for this? can’t ya just stay with me n masheenka?"  
His sad blue eyes met with the judges somber eyelights. "Wé were tryĭng to get the keys to unleash Tzàcl when wė got åmbúshed. I- I killed his tortúrer, bùt I’m not surĕ how much good that did."  
"i’m sure it musta’ve helped." His big grin was half-forced before it fell. "so, how is he? he’s still alive. dat’s good. they- they havn’t… uh…" The implication was easily readable on his face.  
"Nó, they hădn’t. The torturer threatened ït only āfter gĭving up on convincįng Tzăcl tó wōrk för them. Thèy wánt him ás a personal gúard, nót ås… that sort of slăve."  
Thinking back, there was a lot more to Purpurs than just a brothel. "One question. Whät plans do you hāve for gettĭng me inside? I’m not exàctly what they look for in ä slave, remind or nōt. I’m ålso not âs steālthy as Syflay, so I would stíck out līke a burr on a sock." 

The group nods considerably, watching your finger go around the map. Syflay taps at the river tower, then lifts his head up.  
"The lizard lady said there is a thing called, uh, 'remote detonation'. From what I gather there is a way to trap the tower with explosives and then set them off from afar." Everybody at the table begins chatting in disbelief. "If she is correct, that would make your plan very easy to execute, Yarnus."  
"Why have dey not here?" one of the grasslander commanders asks. Syflay shrugs.  
"She said there was something more important to do, but I do not know why. I am her spokesperson, since she told me everything important she needed to say."  
Once you ask your question, trying not to see Omega looking away in distress, Syflay nods, humming in thought.  
"Yes, Syflay knows trying to sneak you inside would not go well. For that, we shall bring you in openly. Well not me, him." Syflay points to Afnun, who sighs a bit.  
"Afnun was afraid of this..."  
"You have nothing to fear. You're a proper Horshtokcian in every way. They will not know you work for us," Maiden puts a hand on his shoulder calmingly.  
"It ezn't that. Afnun doesn't like place. Wants to save poor geerls, but has to act like bad man."  
"We shall save them." The other grasslander commander lightly beats his fist into the table. Everybody nods agreeingly, and Afnun sighs, looking to Syflay.  
"What we say to Purpur?"  
"Simple, you're Yarnus's owner, and you wish to work for her. Your slave will become hers, and we'll have two more inside men." Syflay smirks. "You should know how to break them from inside by now, shouldn't you?" Afnun exhales through his nose deeply.  
"What if recognize Afnun?" Syflay shakes his head.  
"Everybody thinks you're a dead man. I made sure no correspondent trace of you remains. I'm sure you'll be safe." He puts a hand on Afnuns, who holds it softly, then gets up.  
"Afnun accepts. Purpur must die. She is stain on Horshtockian family tree."  
"Good," Syflay nods, then turns to you, "but we don't want to make you that kind of slave. For that, we need another use you can be of for Purpur. The more unsuspicious and mild, the better." 

Yarnus contemplates his hands for a bit. Thinking back to his younger days. "I wās raisėd as a wèaver. Everythĩng fróm making cloth, embroidëry, to tailorîng. That cōuld gêt me clösë to Purpur herself, but that alone would be ăn odd tąlent for a wärriör tó have ä sláve för." Silent nods are shared around the table.  
"yer make good grub." Yarnus is surprized by the addition. "somehow you made the random crud we found n the caves taste like a damn fine meal. cometa even got bolfur to try n make yer chicken n taters." As the commanders agreed this was a much more plausible approach Omega’s face brightened.  
"That is an excellent idea my friend." Maiden congratulated him. "There are only so many dresses and many mouths to feed. Yarnus would prove useful one way or the other."  
"Yes, and the best ruse of all is the truth. What do you say Afnun?" Syflay turns to quiet giant standing at the table.  
He rattled off something in his own language. His voice was deep and rough making every word sound like a threat. Strangely Yarnus picked up on something about ‘food’ and ‘tiny hands’.  
"did he just call you a brony?" Omegas nervous laugh shook the smaller skeleton as he found his frame instinctively pressed against him and away from Afnuns ‘scary man voice’.  
"NO… SAY SLAVE" Afnun stops and clears his throat. "Say he good cook and mend clothes good, but tiny hands not strong to fix armor." 

"Having you as a cook would put you in the best possible spot tactically!" Syflay says excitedly. "Oh this is just perfect! Then, when the time is right, you can feed them one of my potent poisons!"  
"Or!" Maiden stands up, grabbing Syflay to literally hold him back, "put them to sleep, yes?" Sylfay looks a bit disappointed, sitting back down.  
"Yes, that is an option, too... I shall mix you some of my concoctions. We'll have to arm you both with everything we can afford, without raising suspicion."  
"We should be able to sneak some smaller weapons with you, you can say they're for tailoring," Maiden offers.  
"oh oh! ask cometa to make ya sum! she could totally make like, lill doodads that look like regular scissors but probably have like a laser built in lmao." The table is a little confused, probably not knowing what a laser even is. Maiden smiles widely at Omega, but you can see he just wants the big man not to feel awkward.  
"Yes, I am sure dear miss Cometa will be able to help us."  
Everybody at the table agrees to the plan, talking through various smaller details that you don't understand much, about the terrain and such. Maiden lets the commanders talk and comes to you and Omega, putting his hands on you softly. He seems to do that a lot, him and Syflay. Perhaps it's a grasslander thing.  
"We shall prepare then, the sooner we get you in the better. You'll have to work very hard to rally up the opposing forces at Purpurs, and even more so secretly and discreetly. Sylfay will give you a small overview of our inside men, those who you can trust, they will help you as much as they can."  
The door opens, letting the sharp white light from outside into the dim lit room. The small posture of the lizard waddles in, holding the door open with her tail. She doesn't say anything, just hums and nods her head to you. A little unsure what the deal is you come closer and she gestures you with her dull claw to come within whispering distance.  
"I heard it all. Don't worry, I'll have some helpful little tricks ready for you. But more importantly, you and the spy should meet me by the gate. I feel like there's somebody else who could help you even more..."  
Then she raises her head to Syflay, nodding calmly. "I'll make some explosives for you and your spies. I can also make some advanced traps if you need any." Syflay nods, smiling.  
"We have our ways, but I'm open to new ideas." Cometa doesn't smile back, simply nodding and leaving without saying a word more.  
"Well then, we shall present our plan to the armada," Maiden says as he begins to roll up the map, the commanders nodding in agreement.  
"Thris wirll be a mirghty mermorarble barttle," the cavedweller says, the two grasslanders and the crimson chief chuckling in agreement. Looking over to Afnun, you see Aghata talking with him. It seems she's a bit concerned for him, but he is resolute. Her worried eyes turn to you and Maiden and she comes forth.  
"Hrey, mayrbe... carn I go too? I wars a slarve for arges, I know my wray arounrd." Maiden looks a bit hesitant, then looks to you for your opinion. 

He looks between the two and back to Afnun who doesn't react at all. Maybe he didn't hear her request. "I dôn't know the fįrst thing aboũt how å Hórshtöckĩans slavē would act. Thralls whére I come from ąre treàted múch better thąn I've seen here." Her face slowly looks more and more hopeful as he continues. "It woúld bê hĕlpful tô havé söme guidance." She's practicality dancing in place.  
"However…" She calmed down as Yarnus interrupted her celebration. "I havê nô idéa hŏw yōu’ll be... treated there." He reached out and put a hand on her arm. "If yŏu äre willing tö take thè risk õf bêing placëd wíth… their girls . I wŏn't stõp you."  
"I'd rather it bè Afnūn ór Syflay tö decíde. They know what it's like inside better than me." 

She turns her hopeful eyes to Afnun, tongue going over her crooked teeth nervously. Afnun has his arms crossed over his chest, his face very serious. After a moment he nods.  
"Cavedweller geerl is free man. If she wants to go, Afnun takes her." He frowns deeply. "And nobody touch her. I make clear to them, who touches my slaves, I break legs." Aghata claps her hands and runs up to him, her heavy steps shaking up the tavern. She hugs the Horshtockian, who seems not to have expected that, his eyes wide and his face going red.  
"Thrank you! I warnna be ursefurl, thris wrill be jurst the perferct jorb for me!" Afnun doesn't know what to say at first, then he smiles awkwardly and starts squirming in place, blabbering something, his cheeks red.  
You watch the two of them with a smile on your face, looking over to Maiden. He's smiling, too, but his eyes seem sad, distant... He looks to you, clearing his throat.  
"Ah, so now... I believe you have some business with Cometa to attend to, yes?" You feel Omega's hands gently land on your shoulder as he stand behind you. You tell them she wants to see Syflay as well, the assassin a little surprised.  
"Me? Huh... perhaps she want to speak about the traps. I am curious about what she can offer." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so... many... dialogues...
> 
> I'm lucky we have a program to format the majority of our text file, but I still have to manually tell the code who is speaking. Maiden and Syflay are the hardest. They are similar but different.


	61. Soyuzniki

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's a bit of NSFW mentions near the end, but not too explicit. That's just the cost for reading Omega's mind without warning.

  


You, Syflay and Omega come out, finding the army collecting themselves to listen to what their commanders have to say. You look over to the gate but instead of it your eyes are drawn to Masheenka, sitting with her wheels under her, using her pneumatic arm to stack stones on one another. Instead of having to move her entire frame she moves her face to look at you, fixing her unblinking stare on you for a moment before loudly yelling and rushing forth to meet up with you. She drives at you quite fast, even scaring you a bit, then her three digits land onto the ground next to you and she lifts up on it, knocking you down on the ground and laying her head on you, perhaps a bit too rough. You hear Omega laugh over her whistling, patting the machine to calm her down.  
"easy easy girl, yer a bit bigger than ya think! we dunn want to make yarnus into puree, hahaha!" 

The massive metal head playfully scoots Yarnus back and forth on the cobblestone road. Thankfully it's a rather well worn road and rather smooth. Once Omega calms her down with some well placed rubs Yarnus is free to stand. As he looks her over in wonder the three pronged hand comes down to rest on his head.  
"This ís nėw. I bet it comės in hándy." He manages to get himself out from under its grasp as Omega chuckles. The digits are quite interesting. The inner pads seem made of much smaller plates that get even smaller towards the tip. As he examined one the other digits seemed to be examining him. She's still not quite used to the new appendage and her movement is clunky but she manages to lightly trace his skull and move the hand under him, lifting him to bring him towards her face.  
Her eyes are beautiful. There's more movement to them that make her face more expressive than before. For a while Yarnus wonders if her vision is better, but he's interrupted as she nearly slams him into the spot between her eyes.  
"That's enough! Put him down missy." The old lizard has finally caught up to the wayward train. Like a scolded child Masheenka sets him down and backs up a bit. "She is still clumsy but making good progress." Cometa watches as Yarnus pets her face, only to be pushed back a bit when she leans in towards him. "Come along. I've got things to show you." 

Cometa lifts her head up, looking to the tavern door in which Aghata and Afnun are exchanging blushy looks and utterances. The old lizard seems to think deeply for a moment, then gestures them both to come with you. A little unsure, they follow her order.  
You follow the lizard to the gate and outside the town. Her waddling is slow but none of you dare to speak up about it. She scales uphill, cursing under her breath about the sloping ground, until you finally enter the forest. You think you know what she wants from you already.  
"Ah... ah... damn these old legs of mine..." Cometa heaves, leaning onto a tree. She rubs her snout with the back of her hand and turns to Syflay, Afnun and Aghata, her expression just as cold and serious as always.  
"You already know about it, right," she says to Aghata, not even sounding questioning. Aghata frowns in confusion, then her eyes go wide and she looks up into the tree branches. Cometa frowns, mumbling something under her breath, then turns to Afnun.  
"Get your hands away from that," she hisses, and Afnun slowly lets go of his sword. Only after Cometa is sure, does she look up and whistle.  
"Don't be afraid..." she mutters to the Codelings, as the branches above rustle.  
Ultra pokes its head out, carefully approaching, digging its claws into the treebark effortlessly. Aghata hides behind Afnun slightly, who looks very unnerved, even frightened. Syflay just stands there, smirking lightly, as if this creature wasn't new to him...  
Ultra comes down on the ground, trying to appear non threatening. It sits like a obedient dog and lets Cometa rub his head between his sickle like horns.  
"This is Overvolve, or Ultrabeast. I made it from crossing genetic materials." The Codelings don't look much wiser from that. "Important for you is, its a friend and an ally. It'll help to keep you safe at Purpurs, and should anything go bad, it'll be your emergency escape mount." Ultra closes its eyes calmly and nods its huge head.  
"As was said," it speaks in as human-like voice as it can muster. Afnun jumps a bit back, but Syflay just smirks wider.  
"How peculiar..." He takes a step closer, tail swishing in excitement. "How did you tame such a beast?"  
"I was not tamed," Ultra speaks to him, "I was raised with better manners than many of your own kind." Syflay just laughs at this amazedly, while Afnun starts being a bit calmer.  
"You speak like man..." he mutters. Ultra nods.  
"Indeed. I am part your kind. My vocal box only has small mechanical adjustments. And your language wasn't hard to learn, soyuznik. " The word 'ally' in Horshtockian language makes Afnun smile widely in amazement, repaid by Ultra with an attempt at a toothy grin, which looks a bit more horrific than friendly. Afnun seems to accept it however. They do have much in common, after all.  
"Now, gentlemen, I would like to inform you... I do not want to be known among your kind. Do not share my secret. I wish to remain a demon of the night to them, understood?" The Codelings nod at this, which satisfies Ultra.  
The beast approaches, your friends stepping back, except Omega. Ultra comes to you and lays its chin on your shoulder, luring pets out of you. You rub its nose like you'd pet a horse, until Ultra pulls back, looking at you with its unfocused stare.  
"I am glad you are safe. I had quite the trouble leading your steed back to Tonrüka when I found you both asleep." It turns its head slightly to look both at you and Syflay. You suddenly remember the seagulls in your dream, the feeling of rustling feathers in your face... "I believe I can keep you safe, even in the lion's den, so to say." 

"Thank yóu för that." Yarnus looked sheepishly away. "I didn't think aboŭt the slēėping powder resíduĕ. It's òdd that ĭt wŏùld knock mē out so long."  
The spy laughed. "Syflay is surprised you managed so much. The dose was twice what was needed for a Horshtockian soldier. I see Maiden was right when he told me you resisted all but the pain killer set aside for Afnun." 

Ultra nods softly, getting up to rub against Omega, who pets it back. Then the huge avian walks back to Cometa, climbing back up the tree calmly.  
"I shall watch over you, train born." With that it disappears in the upper branches.  
"Trainborn?" Afnun says confusedly, but before he can get an answer Cometa begins to walk back to town, not bothering to answer.  
You follow the lizard, coming back into Tonrüka to find all the collected forces of the Coalition standing proudly in the campsite, listening to their commanders' speeches. Everybody is either wearing or holding their respective armour, almost five hundred men, all ready for battle. Syflay and Cometa talk about the traps, agreeing on something you don't quite catch, then the assassin puts a hand on you and Aghata to get your attention.  
"Syflay should now teach you of our inside men. Come with me, we shall seek privacy..."  
"can i come with?" Omega asks. Syflay is a little hesitant, but then just nods. Omega smiles brightly as you follow Syflay to the tavern, taking your hand and swinging it joyfully.  
You come to the dim lit room once again, the remains of the hotdog crumbs covering the table. Syflay sweeps them away and sits down, as do you and your friends. The assassin entangles his fingers together on both pairs of arms and begins to explain.  
What you saw of the place were just the torture cells, for those who dare to put up a fight. Vanio is very trustworthy but not very smart, which plays in his favour. When he "accidentally" feeds a prisoner that's supposed to go hungry and somebody finds out, he just plays dumb, usually just getting a smack. It also protects him from the prisoners themselves telling on him, which they sometimes do out of sheer hopelessness.  
Upstairs are the brothel rooms and further back are the sleeping quarters for the women kept there. A strict schedule is in place, insolence is heavily punished. They are kept in fear of even a single misstep, which will make it harder for you to rally them up.  
In an adjacent building lives Purpur and her cohort, her bedrooms, dining rooms and bathrooms all the richest they can be. She has her own bodyguards, servants and maids, catering to her every need. Her security is made of the worst of the worst, six Horshtockian men that anybody who hasn't met them can thanks their lucky stars for it. These will be your main threat, the're ruthless and merciless, and most importantly, nearly blameless. They often terrorize slaves and servants alike just for fun, sometimes even killing them in gruesome ways.  
"There used to be seven of them..." Syflay smiles wickedly, "until very recently." You smile as well, glad to have lifted at least some of the weight from the slaves' shoulders.  
One of the maids that cleans around Purpur's halls is named Rohana, a stout grasslander woman in about her forties. She is working for the Coalition, listening in to Purpur's deals and informing Syflay of many things. She'll know you're with her and will aid you with your quest.  
An old Horshtockian named Hardol, working at the blacksmith, is also on your side, purposefully making secretly shoddy weapons, the kind that comes apart in the heat of battle. He looks very fearsome, one of his eyes missing, his speech a barely comprehensible tangle of growls and murmurs. He knows Afnun well and will help anyway he can.  
A grasslander woman working as a prostitute has already made good friends with the others. Her name is Evenasova and she'll be your main person in trying to rally up the working girls.  
And finally, a cavedweller named Renold is one Purpur's three tasters. He's a little nervous, but should be able to help you should you need it.  
"Those are our men, and I'll inform them all of your arrival," Syfaly says, looking to you all carefully. "Everything understood? Don't be afraid to ask questions if you have any..." 

"Threë tàstĕrs? Søũnds likë shē alréady ässũmės the kitchen ĭs trying tø kĩll hèr." Yarnus chuckled lightly. "Poôr fellow must feår êveryone, slave and gûards alike." He turned his attention to Aghata. "Máybe Rōhănä càn fīnd you some job in thë main hoŭse, thõugh I doubt they’ll let mê anywhērë near the girls, so tälking wïth Evenasova mĩght havë tó bé your responsíbility." She just nodded.  
"There ĩs one questiòn I háve though. Yøu said ëarlĭer that ėvêryone assûmes Afnŭn is deâd, but if Hárdōl knōws him… what name should wé use? Shòuld wè be worried ĩf sömeone has heard òf hīm?" Yarnus paused in thought, "ör of mē?" His face contorts in worry. "I didn’t kill the slävêrs when I rèscued Mashèenka and the kids from Krâkögrow. They cøuld probäbly recõgnĭzĕ mē as a thrêat." 

"You need not worry about Afnun," the assassin places a hand on your shoulder. "He has his alias figured out well, I assure you. Concerning your 'reputation'... that could be a problem." He rubs his chin in thought. "I have looked into the rumours surrounding you. From what I understand you've been mistaken for a cavedweller child. But that is only from those who saw you with their own eyes. Others believe it was their god inhabiting the body of a Codeling, who had came to take the offering. So far nobody knows your train is in Tonrüka, and I'll make sure nobody will." He closes his eyes, thinking. "There were only very few who actually saw you, and rumors contort as they spread. I've heard many versions that were nowhere near true, that you were an adult cavedweller, that you were a smaller mechanical beast like the train, even that you were the high Horstockian figure known as Gornyduk, the 'Holy Spirit of the Mountains', the right hand of Sochny, their god. What I'm saying is, unless you draw attention to it, nobody but the people who actually saw you will recognise you. And you can count on me to keep those who did out of the way. You should be safe, but be careful nonetheless." 

Yarnus feels a mix of embarrassment and pride as he hears the rumours about him. "I think the only one I’d worry abòut woůld be the old lâdy whó had thè kìds. Although I'd doubt she’d wĭnd ūp ät Purpurs." He leans his chin on his hand. "I think I sort ôf hâve Wladëmieėr to thank för some ôf those stôries. He was the slavér that helped me. Or át least prevented me from getting bràndėd."  
"A srlaver herlped you? Heh! Maybre sorme of it’ trure!" Aghata gave him a forceful pat on the back. "Herlls I’d throught you a dermon myrself fer a brit."  
"Well I’m not sure what wĕ thought õf each other. We didn’t spéak ĕach øther’s langūàge. I only… wëll I used my magic õn hĩm right bëfōre I was captured." Yarnus scooted back onto the chair he had nearly been tossed out of. "Speaking òf magĭc. Mŏst anyõnē would seé me as a Rĕmind. What’s to kêep thėm fróm placĩng one of their magic dampéning restråints ön me?" 

Syflay smirks widely, the light in his eyes gleaming briefly. "Do not worry about a thing. We have... let's say, 'our ways'." He looks to Aghata briefly, then to you. It's obvious that he doesn't want to say it in front of those who don't know about Maiden's secret yet. Perhaps they have a way to mask magic? It would explain why you haven't noticed Maiden's 'gift' for a long time, despite being quite close to him... "We'll present you as a remind slave, with your very own magic dampening collar. It will, of course, be just a piece of cloth, your magic hidden under one of my solutions..."  
He reaches into the folds of his clothes, pulling out a small round wooden box. He opens it, revealing strange black goop stored inside, which he dips two fingers in, approaching you. It almost looks like it's moving...  
"Be calm," Syflay smiles reassuringly as he smears some over your eye. It feels cold, like chewing on a peppermint, but in your very bone. It's not a very pleasant feeling. "And, just like that, your eyesockets have become as dark as the night." He smiles, taking your hand and placing the box into your palm. "Keep it, but don't inspect it too hard my friend. You don't want to know where it came from..."  
A little unsure, you take out your sword, looking at your reflection on the clean edge. To your amazement, the eye that had been smeared with the black goop is completely dim. How peculiar... 

Even if it wasn’t necessary at the time, Yarnus took a dab of the goo and treated his other eye to match. The chill in his bones felt odd, like something he could possibly be remembering but not quite. It gave him a small headache like he’d been eating flavored ice too fast. He shook his head and shivered. "How often wõûld I need to use this stũff?"  
He looked over to his companions. Aghata wasn’t phased by the lack of lights in his sockets but Omega looked worried. "jeez it’s like we’re back n that prison cell. howzit feel? can ya use yer magic at all?"  
Yarnus wasn’t sure so he set himself to concentrate on trying to detect the feelings of everyone in the room. He figured Syflay might notice, but he hadn’t read or even told Aghata. 

Using your eyes with the goop masking your magic is a little like looking through thick glass. It's not obscuring so much that you couldn't see, but it's noticeable.  
Looking at the cavedweller, you see surprising amount of calmness, a great lack of fear in her heart. She lived through many terrible things, and nothing that the world will throw her way will break her. In a way, she is very strong, even though she was a mere child until recently. You catch a stray memory of kneeling on hard peas, flinching at the harsh pain accompanying it.  
Syflay pulls back when he feels your eyes on him, looking away. You decide not to pry, turning your eyes to Omega instead.  
Omega smiles brightly as you turn your eyes to him and his feelings come at you like a tidal wave. His joy and cheer at having you close, his fear of what's to come and his shameless thoughts about you and him engaging in some mutual fellatio. After wondering if you'd like your face stuffed in his ladybits you're frankly quite shocked to see yourself and Tzacl making out around his dick, all imagined in great detail.  
The silence in the room starts getting a bit too long for comfort. It's then that Omega's smile slowly fades, a different thought filling his head.  
...yer usin yer magic eye on me aren't u

Briefly the scene changed to Tzacl thrusting behind Yarnus as the smaller one is pressed against Omegas shaft.  
"... on me aren't u?"  
The words feel as real as the sensations around him. Suddenly the feeling is gone. It's just him and Omega. He can't tell if Omega is getting closer or getting bigger. Perhaps he's just getting smaller, he feels small, he feels…  
"Sorry. I-I'm sörry… I dïdn't mean…"  
The rest of the room starts to murmur and pay attention. Yarnus had been silently looking around the room but then just froze. Then Omega had fallen under the same spell. Suddenly both jerked to attention. The look of confusion was much more apparent in Omegas eyes.  
"Wharts goring orn?"  
"Did my solution have a side effect?"  
"What happen?"  
Yarnus skull was already flushed from the interaction and nearly glowed from embarrassment. "I um, I wėnt tõo far." His eyes would have fallen to the table if they were even perceptible. "As long äs I don't try tŏ look töo deeply I shòuld be finè. It's ą little harder to see änd I guêss… maybĕ with reminds… or ât leást with Omëgä…" he looked at his big friend who was still sitting there speechless. "Sorry. I-I'm sorry… I didn't mean to învąde yoúr head space likê thát."  
He hoped that the accident was forgivable. He would have asked first if that had been his plan. It was just… seeing the three of them so clearly, he wasn't sure if the vision he saw was from Omega or himself.  
Hearing the same words in his head and then again from the Justiciar himself, Omega knew that they briefly shared an experience. Whether he wanted to repeat said experience was another thing. 


	62. The M Campment

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a tiny reference to rape/non-con in this chapter, but it's very loosely alluded to. Yarnus is about to go into a VERY BAD PLACE and needs to know the dangers.

  


The room remains awkwardly silent for a few moments, almost suffocating. It's Syflay who has enough mercy for you to finally break it.  
"Well, anyway," he coughs a little, "I shall get on it immediately, sending my messengers and such... You should go to sleep early tonight, but before that, prepare as well as you may. I suggest you have a word with the workers from M laboratories about inventions that may help you at Purpurs." You nod, trying to hide your blush, and get up. Omega stays behind for a moment, rubbing his fingers together, then follows. Aghata and Syflay look at one another, unsure and weirded out, before the door between you closes.  
It's like the M laboratory workers had heard Syflay's suggestion. As you lift your head up, your empty eyes land on the group, Hictor, Yeneeva, Bolfur and Dordow and Spiklun. They seem to be waiting for you, talking about something quite loud. Yeneeva looking very excited. Suddenly the twins notice you and tug at Hictor, pointing at you with all eight arms. Yeneeva turns her wide smile to you, running up to you to hug you.  
"Oh ma' stars lill' guy I'm so glad to see ya'!" she lifts you up in her four armed hug. Finally she puts you down as the others flock around you and Omega standing behind you.  
"You would not believe it, I have found out I have a cousin here!" Yeneeva laughs.  
"And I have found my step sister!" Bolfur almost shakes you excitedly. "And best of all, we can be helpful to these people!"  
"It's nirce to see orther cravedwerllers arfter the yrears," Hictor nods his head, his expression as calm as ever, but you can spot a very subtle little hint of a smile. The twins are the only ones who don't seem too excited, hands in pockets, expressions unamused.  
"Some guy seid our momma eez at Purpur." Dordow shakes his head at Spikluns words.  
"Eez stuped. Our momma is in the sky!" Yeneeva and Bolfur exchange uneasy smiles at the twins' blissful unawareness.  
Yeneeva comes down on one knee to talk to you face to face, her smile as friendly as ever.  
"We heard yer' goin' right into the lion's den, and that you could use some helpful trinkets. We thought up some ideas already, but we wanna hear yer' opinions." Bolfur comes forth as well, showing you a piece of paper with sketches on it.  
"Since you will present yourself as a clothier, I have come up with the idea of sleeping poison hidden in a simple clothing pin."  
"Or a dargger hirddern in a wrirst princurshiorn."  
"Or whadda'bout a gun disguised as clothing scizzors?!"  
"a laser gun?" Omega laughs.  
"Yeah, why not!!" Yeneeva laughs back, throwing her hands in the air. 

"A lay-zàr gun? Oh yeąh, I think Perlō had önē. I nèver saw it ůsed thoŭgh." Yarnus looks over the designs. "I saw ā Hörshtockian shakë off a daggèr wóūnd. I doubt I could híde ōnè of ä üsefül size, even under my kįlt."  
The paper rustles as he examines the diagrams. "Actůąlly a pìncŭshion with â hidden compartment wóuld be a good idea. Syflay wăs going tò stòck me up with various poisons. I coūld seè øne seäled inside thåt could bĕ used if needëd. Like it's ŏnly accessīble if yoú poke it frōm here, ůnder ā dêcoratĩve leaf."  
Bolfur looks at the chosen design and nods. "A fruit shape like that is common. Some ground nut shells in the core would be good for sharpening pins and hiding containers. It's brilliant!"  
"Don't tell me tha’ all yer plan’n on hav’n?"  
"I'm not sure how much they'll lĕt me kèēp. I suppose a gøod pair of scĩssõrs shouldn't raise süspicion, ĕven if they could bë măde to sepärate intŏ two daggêrs òr spun âround ìnto a doŭblê edged dägger."  
"Both! We'll do both." Yaneeva claps her hands excitedly. "What else? Ya’ve got at have some good ideas in yer noggin."  
Yarnus rubs his neck bones nervously. "Tza… I méán Syflay saïd he’d make ą fåkê power restraïning collar frŏm some sort of fabríc. I'm a little worried thät they might wànt tò repláce ĩt with theīr ōwn. May-maybê you guys cõuld mâke sómethĩng that lōòks too sturdy to rĕmove or èvėn somethìng only I cān ũnlock."  
The name slip up brought a small rush of color to his cheeks. It wasn't like he wanted to be treated like a slave, but he remembered a book Adal found about human mating habits mentioning collars. It had surprised him that he found that section of the book interesting, especially that the positions could be switched. It kinda reminded him of his life.  
His chain of thought came back as Omega set his hands on his shoulders. "dude, that's some great ideas!" Yarnus felt his friend bend over to bring his skull next to his own. "learn’n a lot ‘bout u today" His voice was deep and quiet before he stood back up in his cheerful manner. "anything else?" 

"Sure lill' man, we'll make some'in pretty fer'ya." Yeneeva folds her arms, her tail swooshing behind her excitedly. "If we make somethin nice 'n ornate I'm sur' they won't take it from ye'." You smile and nod, rubbing at your neck spine.  
"Well then, it's settled! We'll get right on it, there is no time to lose," Bolfur nods his horned head. "We shall consult Syflay about the poisons and imbuements, he should know best I would think."  
The workers all mumble in agreement, turning away to get to work. Before leaving Yeneeva returns to you briefly and hugs you again, pressing you to her chest briefly before quickly following the others, waving goodbye.  
You're left standing there, unsure what to do. Omega stands next to you, silent, looking a bit awkward. As if he had something on his mind but didn't know how to really put it into words. He stuffs his hands into his pockets, looking away. Then he opens his mouth, taking a breath to speak, but in that moment a large hand lands on your shoulder.  
"Leetle skeleeton," Afnun's voice calls you as you turn to him. You're surprised to see him dressed up very differently than before. His armour is lighter, with white furs decorating around the neck and chest, a helmet with metal wings attached under one of his arms. You're surprised to see his head bare, two small patches of hardened skin visible - undeveloped horns. You had the idea of him being an interracial offspring before, seeing as his tail is not as short as of other Horshotockians, but now you can be sure.  
"Afnun put on reech clothes, see?" He tugs at the white furs, revealing a red lining on its edges. "Is from very reech Horshtockian I keell. I hav reech clothes for Aghata, but no for you. But you can kneet, yes? Kneet yourseelf sometheng. Afnun gave supplees to metal Goddess," he points to Masheenka. "Should look leeke dis." Once again he shows off his clothes to you. It seems Horshtockians like very rich furs and sharp colours. Shouldn't be too hard to imitate.  
Afnun kneels down to your level, putting a hand on your shoulder. "Know dis leetle skeleeton. When at Purpur, Afnun put on act. Afnun weell not hit you, but he might yell or be rude to you. Might also be cruel to other slaves. Maybe very cruel. Know Afnun ees'nt like dat. Afnun only want to do good job. Trick Purpur and other Horshtockians. Leetle skeleeton understand?" 

His soul swells at the mention of Masheenka being recognized as a Metal Goddess and not just some pet or animal. The happy feeling dissipates quickly as Afnun spells out what a troublesome situation they are about to be neck deep in. Yarnus reaches up to put his hand on the lowered shoulder. "I will try my bêst to nõt make you need tõ reprimand me. I can always say that I'm ôn my bēst bĕhävìor to måke yóu lŏok goōd, and that won't be a lïe even wíth its doúble meáníng."  
Yarnus tries to smile and be cheerful but it drops as he ponders the future. "Ultimately, I know what yóú arē doing is bĕst fôr everyòne. I jüst hopĕ yoù don't mâke enemîës of any of the slâvès before the revôlt."  
The giant of a man stands and straights out his costume. "Afnun hope thees as well." His gaze was thoughtful without focusing on anything around them. "Come find Afnun wheen kneeting is done." He bid them both farewell and headed in the direction of the tavern turned headquarters.  
As Afnun leaves Yarnus reaches up and coaxed one of Omegas hands out of his pocket. There's still a look of worry on the big fellows face but it softens as they hold hands. He doesn't need to use his magic at all to tell that something was bothering his big friend. Frankly, a lot of things were probably bothering him. Everything from having his mind read to having his friend seemingly submit to being enslaved and put in danger. There were probably things he wanted to discuss but needed a bit of privacy.  
"How aboūt we go see what hé gavè me to work with? I hope he dïdn't want me to knit an ēntìrë øutfįt for myself. I'm a bit rusty wīth knittīng unless you want å scårf." The little skeleton laughed lightly as they made their way to Masheenka.  
Her upgrades meant that he didn't need assistance getting into her cabin anymore, but that didn't stop Omega from picking him up anyway, out of habit or just because. Thankfully Afnun provided fur and fabric along with knitting supplies. There was also a set of clothes. Far too large for himself and not nearly large enough for Omega. They were worn and a bit faded, but obviously here as a guide to making his own.  
Like before, back at the M Laboratory, Yarnus set himself to work making an outfit. This time with trousers and a slightly ornate shirt. There was also a heavyweight blue fabric that would make good coat.  
Omega was supportive as usual, but still had moments where he seemed to be unnaturally quiet. Yarnus picked up a couple of skeins of yarn and brought them to his friend. "Which color do yóũ like bëst? I want to knît a scarf fŏr yoů." 

Omega looks at the yarns in your hands and for a moment you think he didn't hear you properly, his stare a bit confused and distant. Finally he comes to his senses and nods, smiling brightly.  
"oh gosh lill guy, i-i'd love that." He rubs his chin as he looks over the colours. "well, i'm usually set on blue since that's what i was born with but... tell ya the truth, my favorite colour is pink." He takes the big ball of dark pink yarn in his hand, the whole thing fitting into his huge palm. He squeezes it lightly, then hands it to you. "havin a lill memento for when yer gone would be real nice my guy." HIs smile is a little sad, worried. You smile back, taking out two appropriately big knitting needles and begin to make the first row. Omega watches you work, then scoots closer to you. You lean onto him, he leans onto you, eventually you ending up pressed to him under his arm. He holds the ball of yarn, unrolling it for you as you knit, both of you quiet. It seems Omega knows you know. But there is not much to say. He just holds you while he can, while you're safely with him, knowing you must do this, for the people of this land.  
You knit, wondering about what's to come. Your magic eye will give you lots of advantage in your upcoming quest, but just that won't protect you from the rich aristocrats and their cruel henchmen. You think back to the slave market, where you saw Purpur with your own eyes. The huge stout woman in rich purple clothes, metal feathers hanging from her sleeves, face covered in thick primitive makeup. And her cohort, a group of well armed huge Horshtockian men. Even one of those could easily cut you down. And there, they will have that power over you, your 'owner' the only thing between you and their cruelty. You can't help but be scared and worried, but also hopeful. You've gone through a lot of hardships already. You can do this.  
It's when the dark pink scarf is done do you realize Omega has fallen asleep, hand still draped around you, his warmth coming into your bones. Masheenka, calmly sitting with you inside, is puffing idly, her beating organ emitting more soft warmth into the room. Outside it's quiet and dark. Perhaps you should get some sleep... 

As much as a nap would feel great, the little Judge needed to actually try on his first attempt at trousers. He had made them purposefully long around his pelvis and they bunched up a bit at his feet. He had first thought that he might have to forgo his cuirass, but with the odd side slit of his new shirt, Tzacls scarf could easily cover the metal without notice.  
With the extra layers warming him he only briefly tried on his coat before removing it and setting it aside. He hadn’t noticed before, but his old kilt was here as well. Holding it once again he got an idea. Carefully he pulled out some yellow fibers along with some red. Dividing them and adding some blue fibers from the coat material he braided the three respective colors together into three bracelets. Two of the bracelets he wore himself and the third he carefully placed on Omega’s wrist. Something about making the bracelets felt calming, therapeutic even. It was like a promise that the three of them would be together again.  
Yarnus crawled into Omegas lap and nestled himself within his parka. Afnun could wait for the morning. Tonight he needed to be with Omega. Even if it was only to rest in his company. 

You press against your lover, closing your eyes. It's warm and comfortable, despite the dark thoughts surrounding you. Tzacl is still captive. You just hope he'll survive until you can get to him...  
You have another dream. Unlike last night, it is not all at clear and memorable, a nonsensical bramble of memories and thoughts. There is something however, something that feels like your other dreams about the flickering man. The jingling of bells. Somehow it fills your dreams, unceasing, uncanny, disturbing in a way you can't really comprehend...  
"Yarnurs." You wake up to the sound of your name accompanied by a light shake of your shoulder. Opening your eyes you see Aghata, dressed in a blue gown with white and yellow stitching patterns. "Wrake urp, we harve to go sroon."  
Omega wakes up as you try to get up, rubbing his eyes and helping you stand up on your feet.  
"it's still dark af..." Omega groans, then yawns loudly. Aghata nods.  
"The lirght wirll corme on in a frew mirnuters. Arfnurn is parckirng his thrings by the grate. The lirzard trold me to gret you."  
You put your new clothes on, hiding your cuirass in Tzacls shawl, then turn to Omega. His sleepy eyes look forlorn, but as you look at him he smiles softly. You come to him and he spreads his arms, inviting you in for a hug. You hold each other closely for a while, Omega's hand rubbing your back, until you pull away, looking at him. As you look into each others eyes, Omega closes his and leans in, kissing you softly but deeply. You give in, closing your eyes as well, enjoying the loveful moment.  
When he pulls back, he smiles, rubbing your skull, then lets go. "be safe out there. i'll be waiting to hold you in my arms again. both of you," he chuckles softly. You chuckle back. Then, you exit the living vehicle and Omega disappears out of your sight.  
Cometa is standing outside with Yeneeva, illuminated by Masheenka's headlights. In her claws she holds a few things, a wrist pincushion shaped like a brown tomato, a small flat metal box, a pair of scissors and a coil of leather ruler. As you approach, she begins to explain without even greeting you first.  
"Poison and antidote pills," she points at two out of four compartments inside the pincussion, then shows you how to open it by pressing the base of the band in a specific way. She goes on to the flat box next, opening it to show you a set of pins with colourful beads at the top. "Sleeping, paralyzing, hallucinogenic," she points to the blue, yellow and green headed ones respectively. "The hallucinogens cause a lot of confusion, so the person tends not to remember things properly. Could get useful." She hands it to you and shows you the leather ruler, or at least what looks like just a piece of leather with measure markings, but appears to actually be some very durable material. She tugs at it hard and shows you its unexpected strength, then shows you hidden teeth on it ends that can me clicked together to form a ring. She stuffs it in your hand, then lifts up the scissors. First she shows you how they snip, looking pretty normal and unsuspicious, then she twists the base and opens them to turn them into a double edged dagger, just like you asked for.  
"Any questions?" she asks. You look to the gate, where you see Afnun putting saddlebags on a l'ors. He seems ready to go in a few minutes. 

Yarnus stows the unusual weaponry and wraps the leather around his waist as a belt. "Thank yōû for all yoür hĕlp. I can’t even think of how to repåy everything." Cometa remains silent, almost as if she was contemplating saying something. Yaneeva brightly speaks up.  
"Ah, it’s justa honor ta help ya! Yer like make’n hist’ry and answer’n a lot o’ folks prayers." The grasslander steps forward before kneeling down for a warm embrace. Even through the layers of fabric she recognizes the shape of the cuirass and lets out a relieved chuckle. "Jus’ come back in one piece ya hear." The hug lasts longer than he expected and for a moment he felt something damp on his skull. Before pulling away she lands a kiss on his temple sending a startled rush of magic through his skull.  
"Oi, an’ Bolfur has got yer collar ‘round back. He want’d ta talk to you alone, seeing he’s been where yer going ina sense." Both the women were dabbing at their eyes as Yarnus walked away to meet with the other grasslander.  
"Dusty work inventing is." The old lizard handed the younger lady a delicate cloth.  
"Yep. Dust."  
Behind Masheeka was a small forge. Not something for heavy use but for smaller, more precise work. Bolfur sat on a small stool hunched over something taking his full attention. Dordow and Spiklun were to either side acting as guards to his workspace. They allowed Yarnus to pass without a word.  
"Oh! You are finally awake. I had hoped for a little more time." He straightened up and removed the object for inspection. It was a rather large pendant emblazoned with the sun symbol Yarnus now wore on his chest. Noticing the look of confusion on small skeleton’s face he started to explain. "This is for Aghata. I’ve made a matching signet ring for Afnun. We figured if the same symbol was seen on your armor it would be less suspicious. It would make sense for someone to want to protect their property." Both were quite for a while, that last word slowly sinking in. Bolfur took a wire brush to the pendant to roughen it up a bit. He beckoned Yarnus closer and spoke low enough to not be overheard. "The house of Purpur is worse than the house I belonged to, but some things should be similar." He polished the metal piece before gathering the already made ring and a suspiciously ring shaped bundle. "As small as you are you will be under everyone, even the other slaves may order you to do things. Just tolerate it as much as you can around the Horstokians. They may find a squabble among the slaves as entertainment, but it can quickly become an annoyance. It would be best to be as boring as possible to them."  
His lower hands worry at the fabric as he uncovers the collar. It’s much more pretty than the crude form Yarnus had imagined. It’s more like a piece of armour, in fact it looked strikingly similar to his cuirass. "It’s a gorget. A bit more armour for you, but will pass as a collar with this addition." Bolfur fingered a small lock device. "It’s just a battery, it won’t harm you, but if anyone touches both metal plates they’ll get a good little shock. Tricking them into thinking it’s truly restraining your powers."  
The gorget was padded and somewhat comfortable as Bolfur attached it around his spine. There was a slight jump as the battery was attached. The grasslander sat back and inspected his handiwork from afar before leaning in to whisper. "Take my advice. If they decide to get… rough... with you." His tone spoke of experiences he’d rather not share. "Just go limp and try to relax. They’ll lose interest with you quickly and finish off with one of the girls." 

Bolfurs words send a chilling tingle down your spine, your nonexisting throat going tight for a moment. Bolfur doesn't let go until you nod, which he repays with a soft smile and a pat on your head. "Our bards will sing songs of your heroism for years to come." He stands back up, bowing to you slightly with his perfect posture." We will wait for your return. Be safe, friend."  
Saying your goodbyes to Bolfur and the twins, you exit the small workshop. You step forward to the gate, but before you go, Masheenka comes to mind. You turn around, hesitating, but then run forward to her face. The giant metal creature is sleeping calmly, responding to your soft touch on her forehead with a gentle steam puff. You come closer, hugging her slightly, placing a soft kiss on her warm metal coat. She whistles deeply from sleep, the fingers on her pneumatic arm above you flexing a little. Then, you step back, keeping your hand on her for a moment more before rushing to meet up with Afnun and Aghata by the gate.  
Two l'orsen, clothed in rich fur coats, are waiting by the gate, already saddled. Maiden, Syflay and the Crimson Horseman are talking things through with Afnun, while Aghata pets a second l'ors, looking calm as ever. As you approach, giving Aghata her own gorget, the talking group turns to you, greeting you gladly. Maiden steps closer and puts a hand on your shoulder. You expect him to say something, and it seems he'd like to, but can't find the words. After a moment he kneels down, and softly hugs you with all four arms.  
"Thank you, Sun child. Thank you for everything." With that he lets go and stands back up, bowing to you. The others bow as well, which is perhaps a little awkward for you, but a nice gesture nonetheless.  
After honoring you gratefully, you're sat up on the second l'ors, in front of Aghata. Afnun mounts his own steed as the others open the gates for you. You ride out into the cold night, waving goodbye to your friends and the safety of Tonrüka. You already miss it.  
Just a few minutes after you ride out into the forest, the light comes on, the ever falling snow glistening over the hills all around. You ride in silence, only the beating of the hoofed beasts sounding into the cold air. A flock of the cobalt crows flies overhead and forth as you ride up on the hill. A huge plain of snow opens under you, far and wide, the mountains cutting off the horizon. Before you, across the plain, stands the fort with its two large towers. The House of Purpur.  
"Deemon's jaws are open before us," Afnun says grimly. "We aboot to ride reight in and cut off tongue of vile creature."  
"I'm readry," Aghata says. "I've beern a slarve my whrole lirfe. Whart's a frew more dayrs?" 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm on vacation so it may be a while before I put out another chapter. I'm busy with planning my trip to Atlantale.  
> I'm not the cosplaying type, but I will actually be wearing a bracelet inspired by the one that Yarnus made in this chapter.


	63. The PurFect Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the Eggplant Chapter!

  


You ride down the hill, across the plains. The two towers are literally towering above you more the closer you come, until you're right underneath. You ride up a serpentine road until you arrive at the main gate, a giant wooden door covered in sharpened poles. Some are crowned with horned skulls, one eve has an entire old corpse of a cavedweller on it, only thick bones remaining now. You gulp at the sight, quickly looking forward.  
Two Horshtockians in full body armour are guarding the gate, giving Afnun hostile stares as he approaches. They ask him what he wants, at which he tells them something along the lines that if they waste his time he'll waste their teeth. Only after they threaten to get the archers up above involved does he say he came looking for work. They ask about you and Aghata, to which Afnun simply says you're his slaves. Without much more questioning, you're let inside.  
Despite seeing the town a few days back, it's still unsettling to see it in the light of day. Huge tents and makeshift buildings are all around, full of soldiers, each more dangerous and hostile looking than the other. They're giving you and Aghata bad looks as you ride through slowly, trying to keep your eyes down not to draw attention.  
You ride a few minutes through the barracks, until you arrive at the heart of the fort. After more explaining they allow Afnun inside the second gate, where the House of Purpur stands proud and high. A big dark brown and bordo building covered with beautiful ornate decorations carved out of dark wood, crowned with golden linings and details. Balconies, corner columns, high windows... There's something scary about it's architectural beauty and richness. You wonder how many slave lives have been given for it...  
You get off your l'orsen, which are taken from you to be put in the stables. Afnun adjusts his fur coats, then turns to you with seriousness and cruelty in his usually calm eyes. He orders you harshly to fix your posture and your clothes, which you hastily do. Then, he steps forth into the House of Purpur.  
You go through a long hall, lined with rich oil paintings and statues, but also many soldiers, watching your every step. Afnun argues with another guard for a while, both very loud and angry about it, before you're let inside a grand hall. The ceiling is painted with rich images of Glasswöll and Horshtockian Gods you saw in the book. The whole room is very very rich, but perhaps a bit too fanciful and flashy, tasteless even. The walls are lined with about two dozen soldiers, all looking ready to cut you all down should you give them even a slight reason to. In the head of the room, atop a large golden throne, sits the lady of Purpur herself, surrounded by her slaves. A taster, a small grasslander taking care of her nails, and a small figure clothed in a red cape, with jingle bells tied to its edges. Their face is hidden behind a white smiling skeletal mask. Perhaps it's Purpur's jester, but they only have two arms and do not have the rotund posture of a cavedweller...  
Afnun bows down, then yells at you to do the same. After a moment Purpur lets you speak, and Afnun begins to explain. He talks about how he comes in search of a job, and how he was told of Purpur's great fortress, a crowning gem of Glasswöll. He speaks of his great strength and no fear of any Horshtockian. He finishes his speech by asking to be a kind of bouncer in the House of Purpur, only wanting food and the right for any girl he wants in return.  
Purpur looks him up and down, her face covered in makeup. Her already thick lips covered in red lipstick twist in thought, her eyes squinting as she thinks. Finally, she nods calmly, speaking for a while, even pointing to you and Aghata.  
Afnun then asks for one more thing. He wants his food only from you, saying that because of his previous life, he is untrusting of any other meals, should they be poisoned. Purpur doesn't think much about it before giving you access to the kitchen. Then you're sent away.  
Afnun orders you to get out, all three of you coming back out the door. A Horshtockian woman approaches you and grabs you and Aghata, dragging you away. Afnun warns her not to dare 'damage his possessions', but she doesn't really seem to care.  
You're dragged away, down another rich hall. The woman finally stops and opens a door, practically throwing you inside, then slamming it shut behind you.  
You look around to see where you've been taken. It's a rather bare room, with only a few bed and a wardrobe. On one of the beds sit two cavedwellers and a grasslander, playing a game of cards. They are wearing simple gray clothes, but don't look too badly taken care of. One of the cavedwellers has only one hand, her other arm ending with just a stump, The grasslander has his tail cut off, only about to his knees remaining. They look at you silently, almost as if afraid to speak. After a moment the grasslander turns away and resumes the game, prompting the others to do the same, although the one handed cavedweller woman still gives you fleeting looks. Aghata meanwhile begins to look around for a bed to claim. 

Yarnus follows Aghata’s lead and counts the beds. There's just enough for all of them, but he suspects that this is just one set of more that share this room. At least he's pretty sure Aghata wouldn't object to sharing a bed.  
He had hoped to see Tzacl taking the offered bodyguard position with Purpur. But even if he did there would be probably be a proving period. Now he was just worried for his friend.  
The cavedwellers stare was becoming rather noticeable to him. Syflay didn't mention a female cavedweller contact so it didn't make much sense to him. Finally he decided to walk over and make introductions. 

You carefully approach, followed by their cautious eyes. After a moment, the grasslander, a thin fella with a long face and a rather small mouth, nods his de-horned head in a slight acknowledgement of your presence.  
"A ty kto?" he asks. After a moment he repeats the question in the tongue of the caves. "Who is you?"  
"Who are you," the female cavedweller corrects him, "It's plural." You're a little surprised she speaks without the accent, then notice her teeth aren't the crooked mess typical of cavedwellers. Looking closer with your keen eye you notice slightly darker spots on her head. Looks like she has some grasslander blood in her.  
You look back to Aghata, then decide to introduce yourself under your new identity. You say you're Afnun's slave, that you are a cook and a tailor, and that your master has taken a job here. After you introduce yourself, Aghata approaches as well, telling them her own name.  
The three slaves look you both up and down carefully, almost a little distrustful, but then begin to introduce themselves too.  
"My name is Alice," the onehanded cavedweller says, "Al for short. And this is Tomaash and Billiam."  
"I am mostly Tomeek," Tomaash smiles timidly.  
"Carll me Birll," the cavedweller male nods. "I'rm from Zrwezyr, thren I warnted to get arway from thrat crazry prlace and ernded up at Tornrürka. Threy dirdn't treart me troo wrell threre... Burt as I wars gerttin' arway from threre I gort caurght by Krarkogröw slavrers..."  
"Yeah, now Tonrüka doesn't seem too bad huh," Alice shoves into him with her stump teasingly. Bill just chuckles unhappilly.  
Tomeek asks Alice to tell his story, since his grasp of your language isn't so good. "Tomeek here was born in Tonrüka, even served her queen Tereza for a while. Then, while hunting out in the woods, he and his retinue were caught by slavers. Since then he's been through like six owners, but he's not that great at cleaning or carrying stuff, Finally he got here, and we decided to save him from gettin' any worse owners. We told miss Natasha he's good at cooking, and since then we made sure it's true by teaching him. We're a good group here. It's not great, but we get to do what we more or less enjoy doing, we get fed fairly well, and you know..." She sighs. "You can get a lot worse as far as this damn house goes." A moment of silence falls, before Al takes the word again. "I'm the head chef, but that doesn't really mean that much. Our and the maids' master is miss Natasha. She's pretty rough and doesn't like smartasses, so better not tell her anything but 'yes miss Natasha', capiche? She'll probably give you a lot of peeling and cutting to do tonight, to see how good you're at listening to orders and not asking questions. So keep your heads down."  
"Understrood," Aghata nods, "our marster is pretty rough writh urs troo so we know whrat you mrean."  
"Good. We only got about half an hour before work so, do you know how to play 'Rummy'? It's not a common game around here but, since you're cavedwellers, maybe you know it..." 

The name of the game was foreign to him. Elders favored the old-fashioned game of Maw and Poker was common with the human sailors of his island. Yarnus was never invited to either game for obvious reasons. "I don’t. I wäsn’t èvēr ăllòwed to gamble or play cārds." A look of sympathy came from Alice and the gang as if he had come from somewhere even more strict than Purpurs.  
"Har! Yarnurs dorn’t wrorry. It’s jurst fror furn. I harvn’t plrayed fer agers." Aghata gave his shoulder a reassuring grasp and sat herself down with the others. "I coruld urse a refrersher. Wre carn tearch hirm and hre carn plray tornight." Al quickly ran over the basics and started a game. For a while Yarnus payed attention, this was a game he could possibly play. Little to no bluffing and knowing that someone was excited for their cards wasn’t too much of a hint. Besides Tomaash had a habit of twitching his tail when excited. If he had his entire tail it probably would have curled. A bit of a smile crossed his face before Alice spoke up.  
"You’ve got a bit of a staring habit there Yarnus." Aghata tensed up and turned to see if Yarnus had been using his eyes. Since he hadn’t he just slowly closed his eyes and slightly shook his head.  
"Sorry, I dõn’t meąn anything by it. I try to nōt to, but sōmetimes I need remīndìng." His cohort relaxed again and fiddle with her cards. "Aghátă usually tells me I’ve gõt sõmething õn my fàce to remind mĕ. I wõn’t mĭnd îf you såy thê same. Better that thän a spŏon to my hands."  
"Sure, no problem. We look out for each other around here." Al looked a bit flustered. "I didn’t mean it as something bad, but you’d better not let Natasha catch you. She’ll use something worse than a spoon." Her nubbed arm rubbed against her rough clothes as she shifted uncomfortably. For a moment he thought he had brought up a bad memory but then he noticed the others shifting before noticing the increasing heat in the room.  
"Strars it srure is gretting warmr in hrere." Aghata remarked as she fanned herself with the cards.  
"It’s the kitchen fires. Natasha will be here-"  
Before Al could finish a door opened quickly and orders were barked in. Luckily, Yarnus had time to shrug out of his coat before getting last in line to follow the others. The horshtokian at the door quickly shoved the regulars as they passed but grabbed Aghata roughly by her collar and inspected it closely, looking between the two new kitchen slaves.  
"Spoilt reech rab-bits. Weerk hard or you weel be geeven to master on plate." Aghata was dropped from her grasp and shoved in the same direction as the others. Yarnus immediately set his head down and quickly followed. The rough shove aimed at him only hit empty air as he rushed by leaving a slight look of bewilderment on the handlers face.  
"Quick leetle rabbit." was uttered under her breath as she locked the door and followed to the kitchen. 

A little lost on what to do and where to go, your hand is suddenly held by one of Tomeek's hands, secretly, behind his back, so Natasha doesn't see. You're thankful for his help, holding onto his hand for guidance.  
Miss Natasha, a tall but still quite muscular woman, pretty in a sense, but very strict and cruel looking, leads you through a short hallway into a big hot room. The kitchen is huge and quite well equipped, walls made of white and gray tiles, counters made of dark wood and marble. One wall is covered with black tiles, but you aren't sure if they're supposed to be black or are blackened by the stoves and ovens under it. A few young slaves are running around with firewood, keeping the huge flames alive. It's really quite hot in here.  
Natasha lines you up before the first counter, straightening Aghata's posture with a rough slap to the back of her head. She doesn't even flinch, doing what she's told.  
"Toneeght Purpur wants..." Natasha takes out a small piece of paper, clearing her throat before listing off several dishes you have no idea what they could be.  
"Yes miss Natasha." The three cooks say in unison, quickly beginning to prepare the foods. You and Aghata stay, knowing Natasha will give you a different job.  
"As for you," she growls disgustedly, "beefor you can make food for your mester, peel and deece all thees ginnimin." She points to one of the corners of the room with two big tubs and three wooden stools. "I weell eenspect your work carefully, so you better do et right..." She shows of her sharp teeth in a snarl, then turns around and leaves, slamming the door shut behind her.  
Aghata goes without a word, sitting down and searching around until she finds a peeling knife for herself and you. You follow, sitting down, and get to work.  
The ginnimin look like if a potato had the skin of a cucumber, and inside they're stringy and aromatic like ginger. Out of curiosity you taste a little bit of one, it's starchy but also a bit spicy, acrid even. You imagine the taste that makes your eyes water is boiled out before eating. Peeling them is not hard, but with two whole tubs full of them it's sure to not be easy.  
You peel, sometimes looking to the three cooks that run around decisively, their every move filled with skill and experience. They're a very good team, taking over from one another, stirring and tasting, cooking and frying. The hot room is filled with a pleasant smell of well made food.  
After a few hours you're done peeling, your hands a bit sore. Aghata stops you before peeling the last piece, leaving one for each of you.  
"Nrow we carn rest a brit. Whren shre shrows up, prick urp the larst orne to sreem lirke we jurst frinishred," she winks at you. You are a bit nervous, but with your hands tired, you could use a bit of a pause. You wait, until after about ten minutes the door open, both of you taking the last ginnimin and quickly peeling it just as Natasha gets to you.  
"Arll frinishred, mriss." Natasha slaps Aghata quite hard, making you jump in shock, although Aghata doesn't seem affected much.  
"I hav eyes!! I can see for meiself!" the Horshtockian yells. Aghata is silent as she inspects the peeled vegetables carefully, then nods.  
"Good eenough," she says, "you can make food for your mester now, go."  
Natasha leaves again, and you're allowed to get up. The three cooks are finishing now, many plates of very fancy looking dishes set for the young slaves to carry to the diner. You come to the counter, looking around at what you could make...  
Most of these things are pretty unknown to you, but you recognize some of the things from when you made food for Cometa. There are fresh fish hanging above your head, a collection of herbs, some leftover diced vegetable that's something like a carrot if it tasted like peppered beans. Al comes to you, watching you look around the food produce curiously.  
"Need any help little man?" she asks, "you look a little lost here." 

"I’m used to prepārìng slōw coökêd foods. Roăsted game and stews ánd the lîke. Surë I coùld prep some fish ín á hurry, but I-" Yarnus looks away embarrassed that his skills might be in question. "I just don’t wānt serve sŏmėthing so còmmon when the other mëals āre sö fancy. It would make my Master loök bad änd that would be tèrrible for më and worse før Aghata." Yarnus glanced over to the other cavedweller as she made her way around the kitchen cleaning and helping where she could. His soul froze at the thought of things going terribly wrong.  
"There’s something on your face." Al speaks up and catches Yarnus attention. "A coin for your thoughts?"  
For a moment he’s confused by the first statement until he remembers the discussion earlier. "The prōblem ìs I’m not familiăr with at least half óf the vėgetâbles you havë herē. I thínk those ginnimin might bê goŏd carąmelįzĕd wĭth something a little sweet änd tart like lemongrass, būt I dón’t wânt to mess ůp my first dish. Wŏuld yōu… cân yŏû help me a bit?"  
Als eyes dart around for a bit making sure there were no supervisors around before her face broke out in the widest smile he had seen on a cavedwellers face. "Are you kidding? I’ve been itching for a chance to make something new!" She nearly shouts before catching herself. "We always make the same things, but Purpur won’t trust us to make something different. I love it!" She nearly squeeks in excitement. "I’ve never heard of lemongrass, but caramelized ginnimin is a great idea and I’ve got just the thing. Go grab some and a skillet and… nevermind I’ll get the rest." She hurries off to some sort of giant spice rack while Yarnus gets the two requested items.  
Together they work on a new recipe. Fish is breaded and lightly fried and the remaining oil and flour is used to cook the ginnimin. Some ricelike side is sat on the plate and layered with the fish and sauce. Yarnus recognizes the dish as Miller’s Fish, but the exotic flavors chosen by Al bring tears to his eyesockets, in a good way. As Al adds the finishing touches Yarnus ponders out loud what to call it.  
"Why not call it as it is? Ryba mel'nika kinda rolls off the tongue." Al and the whole crew agree as they crowd around the delicious smells. 

Just as you and the others are gushing over the well prepared meal, the door swings open, this time from the diner. A tall Horshtockian man in a dark red coat looks around, his look very strict, then frowns at you and the others.  
"Kto iz vas Yarnus?" he barks. Al nudges into you.  
"He's asking for you," she says. The man folds his arms and says something along the lines that your master wants you to bring him his food, now. Then he leaves, Al ready to translate for you but you stop her, taking the meal and following into the diner, a little afraid of what's to come.  
The diner is just as grand and over decorated as any other place here. At a long long table sits about 30 Horshtockians, with purpur in the head, being served by well clothed grasslanders, each looking more afraid and shaken than the other. You look around a bit lost, soon shoved by the man in red so hard you almost drop your plate. You run around the table with your head down until a hand stops you, and you look up to see Afnun.  
"Took you long eenough," he growls, taking the meal from you. As he does he leans closer, and in a hushed tone whispers. "Afnun wants to show you frind..." You dare to look up, and your whole body goes stiff.  
At a chair at the big grand table sits none other than Tzaclkratz, dressed in the same grand Horshtockian clothes that don't fit him at all. He looks very grumpy, shooting his red eyes around cautiously as he slowly eats. It seems he's held under strict watch by a big Horshtockian soldier by his side, who watches his every move like an eagle. He doesn't notice you before the Horshtockian in red grabs you and drags you back in the kitchen.  
The door slams behind you, but before you can even catch your breath, another rough pair of arms grabs you. Natasha forces you into the line, then speaks about the night and what will be for breakfast. You don't catch much of what she says, still thinking about Tzacl. Before you realize it you're led back into the bedroom.  
It's already dark outside, your hands still sore from peeling. The three cooks and Aghata are talking about ridiculous things they had to do for their owners while eating some of the remains of what they cooked before. Al hands you a plate with some mashed starchy vegetable and a leg of some avian, balancing the meal on her stumped arm skillfully. It must be quite a while since she had lost her hand.  
"So, you've been in the grand diner huh. Seen anything interesting?" she asks. 

The way she worded it put Yarnus on edge. "I saw ä remînd ąt the tablé. I dįdn’t expĕct that." he was thankful that Tzcals scarf hid the break between his cuirass and gorget otherwise the glow from his soul could have been seen.  
"Really? I heard rumours she bought one a while back but no one saw him for the longest time. I wonder what she’s going to do with him." She mused as she finished off her meal and rejoined the conversation.  
Yarnus sat opposite them contemplating what to do next. The kitchen would be the best place to plan the revolt. They had been left alone for the majority of the time, they had access to basic weapons, and they were in prime position to poison not only Purpur but the majority of her commanders. He hardly registered who asked him about the worse his master had asked him to do.  
  
"Kill people só hé woūldn’t get hĭs hands dirty."  
  
The room went deathly quiet as the words from his own mouth finally registered in his skull. He hadn’t even put thought into his answer.  
Bills jaw just dropped. "Whry… yrour mraster’s a cannerbal?"  
"Oh My Stars, Bill," Al looked nervously between the two new slaves before adding, "You can’t just ask someone why their master is a cannibal." Aghata just shrugged and looked at Yarnus for the reason for his answer.  
"No, nŏt for fóod. Not Af… Master Afnun eĩther. It wàs before hîm." Yarnus shifted on his bed and folded his coat to fashion a pillow. "I-I’d ráthër not talk ābout it. Forgét I saĭd thăt."  
He laid down on his side watching as the group got out the cards from before. No one thought less of him when he passed on joining the game. Yarnus wasn’t sleepy though. He was waiting.  
A few minutes into their game he brought up his magic into his eyes to scan them. Not much, but he needed to know if he could confide in them. Bill longed for a place to call home, Tomeek just wanted to go home, and Al… she was determined to make anyplace a home. This made made him smile. Hopefully they could all get what they wanted once they were free. His chain of thought was broken by Aghata hissing at him.  
"Yarnurs. Yoru’ve grot sormthring…" she pointed to her head. He sat up and rubbed at his eyesockets, relocating the black goo to his fingers. It was less ‘lively’ than before. When he looked up Aghata was almost panicked and the others had stopped to stare at the two faint lights shining from his skull.  
"It’s okay. We can trust thĕm. I’m tired of lyīng about Afnun. Hë’s a gòod fellow." The rest of the room looks on in confusion as Aghata lets out a sigh. "Grood. I hrated tarlking like hre’s a bad gruy. He’s rearlly swreet ornce yrou knrow hrim."  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Getting back to this after Atlantale. We've got a lot of stuff coming up storywise and otherwise, but I can't give details just yet.


	64. The Horribles New Clothes

  


The three slaves stare at you, Bill and Tomeek looking confused, but Al's serious stare looking very knowing. Aghata takes a breath to talk, but Al quickly places her hand over her toothy mouth. Nobody dares to make a sound. Al listens in carefully, her eyes looking around the ceiling. Then she slowly lets her hand down and beckons you to get to a specific corner.  
"I suspected so. You look like you've been a slave," she says to Aghata who nods seriously. "But you, Yarnus, you were suspiciously clear of scars to me. Other than your leg, you seem in way too good of a shape to be a slave..." She lifts her head, listening in again, then turns to Aghata. "So, who are you and why are you here?"  
Aghata looks at you, and only after you nod in agreement does she begin to explain. She tells the three cooks all about Tonrüka and the Coalition, about the plan to overthrow Purpur and about the planned revolt. She doesn't say anything about Ultra or that you're a Remind, simply that you're here to act as inside men planning the revolt.  
The cooks listen carefully, their faces full of both fear and excitement. All except for Al. Looking at her, you see fear, but not the same kind of fear... it seems she's afraid to be free. She has never been free. Her whole life she had been said what to do and how to live. She's afraid of losing that certainty... but she does want her friends to be free. She does want this terrible place burned to ashes.  
"...We're in." The other cooks nod in agreement to Al's words. "We'll do anything to help you. With our experience and knowledge of this place and your friends on the outside we just might-"  
Al stops, her eyes widening. In the sudden silence you hear footsteps, approaching the door. All five of you quickly jump away from the corner, trying to look unsuspicious just as the door bursts open. Natasha stands in the door, tall and intimidating. She looks over you, a little suspicious...  
"Wheech one of you eez the teiler?" After a bit of hesitation you stand up. "Collect your thengs, now." You do as she tells you, taking all your tailoring equipment, then approach her. Without explaining anything she grabs you, dragging you out into the hall.  
Truth be told, you're quite terrified. Has she heard anything? Where is she taking you? Many terrifying thoughts run through your head as you're led roughly through the decorated halls. Finally Natasha stops at one of the doors, throwing you inside.  
You find yourself in a big rich bedroom, full of red velvet, oil paintings and golden statues. In the middle, standing on a richly woven carpet, is a huge Horshtockian soldier, looking you up and down carefully.  
"Heer'z tailer," Natasha says. From behind the bed curtain emerges the tall pointy figure of none other but Tzaclkratz.  
"YES, THANK YOU, HE'LL DO NICELY..." he says, his usual high voice replaced with a much softer tone, very unlike him. He comes to you, looking you up and down, then hums in thought.  
"SCRAWNY LITTLE MAN... I AM TZACLKRATZ THE HORRIBLE. I ORDER YOU TO TAILOR ME AN OUTFIT FIT FOR PURPURS SOON TO BE BODYGUARD!"  
He turns to the Horshtockian questioningly. "PERHAPS YOU COULD USE A NEW OUTFIT OF YOUR OWN, MARTIN?"  
Tzacls guard, or Martin, looks at him silently, his face stoic and silent. After a while Tzacl folds his arms. "I DID NOT WANT TO SAY THIS BUT..." Martin raises an eyearch as Tzacl looks away. "YOU LOOK DREADFUL! THESE BAGGY CLOTHES YOU WEAR ARE NOT FIT FOR A MAN YOUR POSTURE - THEY HIDE YOUR MUSCLES! YOU LOOK SCRAWNY AND WEAK!"  
This seems to make Martin think. He looks over his clothes, then to Tzacl and you.  
"Fine. Make me clothe, teiler."  
As he walks past Tzacl, the remind gives you a fleeting smirk. Perhaps he has some sort of plan? Or is he counting on you to take the guard out? You don't know... 

The little ‘tailor’ didn’t have to fake a look of confusion as he’s introduced, albeit informally, to his friend and his guard. He had been worried that Tzacl might not have been told of the ruse yet, but since he asked for the tailor he must have known something.  
"Y-yĕs Sîrs." The guard loomed over Yarnus as he stammered. "I-I usuąlly have a st-step ladder, büt p-përhaps I coûld stând on the bed?" For a moment he thought of looking up with pleading eyes, but quickly remembered the goop was wearing off and wouldn’t be a good idea. Martin shifted, perhaps looking for a chair or suitable stool before walking towards the lavish bed.  
"I DO NOT WANT YOUR FILTHY FEET ON MY BED!" Tzacl grabbed Yarnus by the lapels before spinning him around and roughly removing his blue outer layer. "YOUR COAT IS CLEAN ENOUGH. YOU MAY STAND ON IT WHILE YOU TAKE MEASUREMENTS." The soon to be bodyguard flung the coat on the edge of the bed and then proceeded to pick up Yarnus and place him on top. It was a good thing he did that. The lush mattress was built to be an impressive height for a Horshtokian and would have been an undignified hassle to climb himself.  
Yarnus took a moment to steady himself on the soft bed while Tzacl stepped back and scoffed. "DO NOT DARE TO STEP OFF THAT COAT. IF YOUR FILTH GETS ON MY BEDSHEETS I WILL BURN THEM... ALONG WITH YOU." Martin chuckled at the outburst but said nothing as he turned his back to the tailor and lifted his arms.  
With only somewhat friendly eyes on him Yarnus relaxed and pulled out the leather measure and set to at least pretend like tailoring was the only thing he had in mind. As he got his first two measurements, calling out the numbers to himself, he nearly lost his footing which gave him an idea. "I, uh, I’ll need to pĩn the measùrîng tape tö you for this next onė." Carefully Yarnus bent down to retrieve the box of dosed pins from his jacket pockets and placed one pin of each color carefully into his wrist pincushion. He grabbed another blue pin before replacing the tin. Reasonably slowly he stood up before accidentally/on purpose tripping on his coat sending him flying into the back of the Horshtokian, the blue pin aimed at a particularly muscled part. 

The Horshtockian doesn't even flinch, just turning his head to you with a deep frown. He growls as he throws you off on the bed, pointing a finger to you.  
"You are veery clumsey. I weell break both hnandsh iff chou..." Suddenly he starts slurring, his eyes rolling back and his legs giving way. He falls heavily into the bedsheets, you just barely avoiding the huge body by rolling out of the way. Seems like Martin is about to take a little nap.  
Tzacl stands there, arms crossed, a big sadistic smile on his face.  
"I WOULD HAVE KILLED HIM MYSELF, BUT NO MATTER. NOW, LET’S GET OUT OF THIS CURSED PLACE..." He quickly moves to the window, the wind from the darkness outside blowing into his red gown. 

He jumped off the bed and grabbed onto the fleeing skeleton. "Wait! Nŏ! Stop!" His panicked voice carried through the cold night air and echoed back. Now Yarnus was even more confused as to what Tzacl knew. Yarnus turned his back to the window and whispered, "Wë can't leåvė yet. The army ìs a day or two bêhind us."  
"WHAT AR-Mmfh?" The look of confusion and anger changes to more anger than confusion on the tall skeletons face as he finds a small hand clamped on his face.  
"Just yėll át me and gêt awăy frōm the wïndøw and we can talk."  
"YOU INCOMPETENT LITTLE RODENT!" Tzacl seemed to roll into his role immediately as soon as Yarnus removed his hand. Before he could even catch his breath the small skeleton found himself lifted up and carried across the room. "OF ALL OF THE MOST SIMPLE TASKS," he’s tossed into a plush upholstered chair while the other leans down eye to eye, "YOU FAIL TO DO THE ONE THING I ASKED OF YOU!" Tzacls volume at close range was near deafening so Yarnus almost missed what was said at a whisper. "I TOLD YOU TO STAY SAFE. LOOK AT YOU. YOU GOT CAPTURED AND NOW YOU HAVE ONE OF THOSE INFERNAL COLLARS ROTTING YOUR SKULL."  
He stood up and began pacing in front of the chair rambling to himself about what to do with his ‘obviously’ brainwashed friend. It took two yellow bullets pelting his skull to grab his attention to notice Yarnus sitting relaxed on the chair with a third bullet between his fingers.  
"HOW?"  
"It’s à fakē collar. My friend that broüght me hérē the other nĩght gavē me a salve that hides my eyes and doesn't àffect my māgic." 

Tzacl stares at you with his wide, confused, but somehow still angry eyes for a moment, then looks to the window cautiously, then back to you. Slowly, he comes closer, folding his arms.  
"SO... YOU HAVE NOT COME TO SAVE ME." He exhales sharply through his nose holes. "FINE THEN. WHY HAVE YOU COME? IS YOUR OWNER REALLY YOUR OWNER? IF SO, HOW HAVE YOU TRICKED HIM? HE TALKED OF YOU AS IF HE HAD OWNED YOU FOR AGES..." He squints his eyes. "I HOPE YOU REALIZE WE ARE BOTH IN DANGER, DEEP TO OUR SKULLS IN IT IN FACT. WHATEVER WOULD BE SO IMPORTANT TO YOU THAT YOU WOULD RISK MY LIFE FOR IT?!?" 

The bullet Yarnus had been playing with exploded in poof of magic. His vision swam for a moment as his magic struggled under the effects of the black goop. Even his bones ached as his magic stirred with fury. "Yoŭ… Tzäclkratz The Horrîble… with yoùr stupid… self-cëntered… píg-heáded stubbornness…," the Judge rose to stand on the chair to see eye to eye, "... would havė béen dead dāys ago!" Yarnus breathed heavily trying his best to calm down and not raise his voice. For a moment there was silence, but he cut off Tzacls attempt to speak. "If you cōuldn’t èscape, what hopé did I have at rescuĭng you? None! The best I coûld dò ón my own was rescuė myself ąnd a dozèn others. I hăve been màuled, and poisoned, and grōvelēd at the feet ōf a Quėen just to răisë an army. Therĕ are fivê hundred soldiers in route to lay siege on Purpur. Me ånd my MASTER and sèveral others are here to lead â revolt from within. Dö yõu know WHY? Do you?" Yarnus slumped back down in the chair.  
"After I killéd your tørturer I was tøó weak tõ bring the keys bàck. He had knocked out thê othēr fellow and ĩt was only me. I-I māngled hïs corpse to màkë it loök like an animal got hím. If they has suspected othėrwĩse they mīght havè killed yóũ. I didn’t know what happened to yøũ. I didn’t know if you were alîve or deăd or… wòrse."  
Yarnus pressed his carpels to his sockets, both due to his head aching and to hide the moisture gathering. "Don’t yoú see? Símply rëscuing yoŭ wasn’t ėnõugh. For what she dìd…" Yarnus wiped his hands on his arms. "I’m risking my life, my soùl, ănd hundreds of óthers… for rēvenge for whăt she’d dõne to yoů." 

Tzacl stands there, surprise and confusion apparent in his wide eyesockets. He stares at you, silent, his mouth a little agape. After a while he closes his mouth with a silent click, his eyes pointing away. A look of... shame, surprisingly enough, appears in his face. He puts a hand over his mouth, deep in thought... then he sighs.  
"I DID NOT ASK YOU FOR THIS... I DID NOT ASK YOU TO EVEN RESCUE ME. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS, ESPECIALLY FOR SOMEONE SO SMALL!" He tightens his hands in fists, showing off his teeth. "IF ANYONE FINDS YOU OUT, YOU WILL MEET WITH FATE WORSE THAN DEATH! I DO NOT WANT-" He stops, turning away and grinding his teeth. When he turns back, you see tears in his eye sockets. "I DON'T WANT TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANOTHER BROTHER! I DON'T WANT TO LOSE ANY MORE OF MY FAMILY! SO GET YOUR ASS OUT OF THIS PLACE AND LET ME DO IT BY MYSELF YOU STUPID IDIOT!" His voice is a bit too loud, but you don't even realize this as you watch the skeleton break down in tears, trying desperately to stop crying, grinding his teeth and hiccuping, beating a fist against his forehead. 

Yarnus sat stunned at the sight of the sobbing skeleton. His yellow soul had already been throbbing in his chest, but now it just sunk. Slowly he crawled out of the chair and approached Tzacl. He gently reached for the other balled fist only to have the other skeleton pull away and pace the floor again.  
Everytime Yarnus opened his mouth to say something he thought of another reason not to. Finally he came to the one thing he could think of that Tzacl might be agreeable with. "I-," he took a deep calming breath. "I have a way oūt of hërè… íf thįngs gŏ bad."  
"USE IT." Tzacl had calmed down a bit, but still hiccuped. "USE IT AND GET OUT BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE."  
"Nò. I'm nõt leaving."  
Tzacl growled as he ran his hands over his skull. "WHY ARE YOU EVEN HERE!"  
For a while he pondered all the reasons for this war. "Púrpur has to be stopped. Nõt jũst her but all øf them. This tèrror must end!" Yarnus stepped away to fetch his measure and coat. "If I left nöw ëverything wõuld fall apārt. I’m here becàũse I can spót whŏ is loyal tó Púrpur and keep ùs clĕar of them. Now…" Yarnus stops to reapply the dark paste to his eyesockets. "I’m going tō need yòūr mēasurëments if I’m gõing to keép my cover." 

Tzacl keeps his stare away from you, still trying to conceal his emotion. After a while he sighs, rubbing at his eye sockets, then comes closer, outreaching his hands for you to také measurement off. You get to work, silent, not sure if Tzacl would appreciate any talk.  
After a while, Tzacl speaks up himself. "PLEASE... DO NOT TELL OMEGA OF... THAT. I IMAGINE HE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO RESIST, UGH, HUGGING ME. A SINGLE 'AW' FROM HIM WOULD BE WORSE THAN A STAB WOUND..." His face gets red, probably regretting saying so much. "ANYWAY... WHAT DO WE DO ABOUT HIM?" He points his head towards Martin, snoring into the pillows of the bed. 

"Well he did thrêatėn to breåk my hands… thůs damagíng më ìn á way that would prevent me frŏm workĭng as a tailor." Yarnus hardly had to pause to think about it. "So yøu øf côürse hād to støp his fĩt of rage ānd knockéd him ôut to prótėct Pürpůrs… assets." Yarnus stood on the chair to reach Tzacls shoulders and pulled at the fabric of his uniform tucking it in to fit better on his body. "Yoũ can ēvèn give him a gòod whack on the héad tò makĕ it more believáble." Tzacls chest flinched and for a moment Yarnus had thought he’d accidently stuck him with a hopefully unpoisoned red pin.  
"I THINK I LIKE THIS PLAN." Tzacl chuckled darkly, his voice starting to take on his regular tone.  
"And when yoū árë sêên tomorrôw ïn ā properly fitting uniform and Martin is found to be incompètent… pérháps you will gain å bĩt møre freĕdom. Thêré’s at lĕast two if not three peóple clöse to Pŭrpur that are on our sìde." Yarnus had Tzacl to move around slowly to make sure the adjustments didn’t prevent movement. All that was left was the actual sewing. "Now take it õff." 

Tzacl takes off the fabrics carefully, handing them to you, then takes off the red unfitting gown as well, grumbling something about bad taste. Under it he has his black underclothes, covering his pelvis and ribcage but not much else. He sits down on the bed, Groloms arm reaching around to feel the fabrics while he takes a deep breath, closing his eyes.  
"WHO IS ON OUR SIDE THEN." You list off the spies among Purpur's slaves, maid Rohana, blacksmith Hardol, prostitute Evenasova, taster Renold. "HMM..." Tzacl keeps silent as you sew skillfully. After a while he speaks again. "AND WHAT IS THE PLAN?" You explain it in simple terms, cut off supply routes, provoke an attack, overtake Purpur's from the inside. While talking you take special caution in case somebody is listening in. It's very improbable, since you walked past many empty rooms on the way, but you take care to listen in carefully before saying anything. Tzacl waits patiently every time, his eyes still closed, appearing calm despite his previous breakdown. After a while of silence he speaks up again.  
"I BELIEVE I HAVE MET ROHANA. FROM THE DESCRIPTION, SHE IS PROBABLY THE MAID THAT CLEANS THIS VERY ROOM." He rubs his chin in thought. "I SHALL TRY TO CONTACT HER, TELL HER I AM ON YOUR SIDE. IF YOU PLAN ON OVERTHROWING PURPUR, IT'S TIME WE START RALLYING UP OUR FORCES..." He turns to you, the light in his eyesockets faint but there. "I HAVE ACCESS TO THE HIGH PEOPLE OF THE HOUSE. PURPUR IS..." He grimaces disgustedly. "FOND OF ME. SHE KEEPS CALLING ME SWEETHEART, BLEH! TRYING TO SWEET TALK ME INTO BEING ON HER SIDE. I PLAY ALONG... WHICH WILL SERVE US NICELY." He grins wickedly. "ONCE I GET MY CHANCE, I WILL KILL THAT DISGUSTING HAG, SLOWLY, PAINFULLY... BUT NOT UNTIL I GET RID OF THIS CURSED CONTRAPTION!" He grabs at the collar on his neck. A thought seems to have come to him, guessing from his lit up face. "YOU'VE SAID ONE OF OUR MEN IS A BLACKSMITH, HAVEN'T YOU? PERHAPS HE COULD RID ME OF THIS!" 

Small deft hands make quick work of the alterations. He has to remind himself that he has an unknown amount of time to finish the work, for both his and Tzacls sake. Small pieces of excess fabric fill the air as Yarnus flaps the finished work. It’s only when Tzacl mentions the collar Yarnus freezes.  
"Wāit...where’s the key? Who hâs it nöw?" There was a slight hint of panic and shame as if Yarnus had gotten it lost the other night.  
"I HAVE BEEN TOLD THE OLD HAG HAS IT." Yarnus couldn’t help but feel a bit of disbelief in the statement. "THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN FOOLISH TO REMOVE MY COLLAR IMMEDIATELY AND FURTHER FOOLS TO CLAIM THE COLLAR WOULD NEVER BE REMOVED."  
"I see," Yarnus offered the uniform jacket to Tzacl, who stood and tried it on. "It might be ä good idea to talk with Afnun. Hê and the blacksmith ąre öld frįends. You côůld either téll him hė ŏwes yoũ for protécting his slave or thank hîm fòr my servicès. That wõuld givē you réåson to talk with him dïrectly," Yarnus takes a few steps back and looks over his work. It does fit better, though the pants are still a bit baggy. "Should I do the pants now ör save thëm for later? It would gīvë yóu a réason to sůmmon me later." 

"WE SHOULD SAVE IT FOR LATER." Tzacl looks over the new clothes in satisfaction. "HEH, YOU DO MAKE A GREAT SLAVE..." He grins at you so you know he's just teasing you. "IT FITS ME MUCH BETTER THAN THE HORSHTOCKIAN POTATO BAG." he gently strokes Grolom's arm through its own sleeve, appearing very happy with your work. It makes you feel proud and glad to make Tzacl, the snobbish selfish jerk, happy with what you made. He smiles at you, but soon looks away with a flustered frown. "YES, WELL, YOUR WORK IS SATISFACTORY IS WHAT I MEANT. TOMORROW I SHALL ASK FOR THE REST, AND TALK WITH YOUR MASTER. NOW LEAVE."  
A little annoyed, you start to collect your things. Tzacl sits there, looking over the seams in silence, perhaps contemplating something...  
Just as you grab the door handle, Tzacl stops you.  
"YARNUS." You turn to him, raising your eyearches in question. Tzacl appears a bit tangled up, as if he was wildly thinking over and having second thoughts about whatever he wanted to say. Finally, he clears his throat, pointing his stare away. "JUST, BE CAREFUL OK? DON'T GET IN TROUBLE." He clears his throat again, looking even further away. "BECAUSE THAT WOULD MESS WITH THE PLAN." 

Yarnus had never seen Tzacl so happy. For a moment it was almost like he was another person. Oddly the switch back to his stoic persona was a welcome sight. Tzacl needed to be brutal while in the house of Purpur. "I ùnderstand, sir." Yarnus tried to move his mindset into that of a slave that had just been threatened by a horshtockian. "I’ll kêep my hánds clean."  
Yarnus slowly stepped out of the room and looked around. It seemed odd that his escort hadn’t waited around, but also a good sign that they may not have been overheard. Keeping his head down he attempted to retrace his steps back to the slave hold. Being caught alone was probably not a good thing for him as a slave. Hopefully, whoever caught him would understand it was his first day… Heh,that was wishful thinking. Yarnus was now quite scared of what would happen. Maybe he should have stayed in Tzacls room. 


	65. Heads Are Going To Roll

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> EDIT: I had to change the name for this chapter... because it fits a later chapter better.

  


Worried and unsure, you continue down the hall, carefully looking around for anyone who could pose you a threat. Soon you arrive at a corner and hear voices from the other side. Natasha and some richly clothed stout Horshtockian lady are standing there, talking in their language about something concerning money and a cart of food. You don't catch much, but it just might be about the supply route being delayed more than usual. Could be your allies at work already...  
Afraid to be caught snooping you walk in, Natasha quickly noticing you. She frowns and comes to you, immediately raising her hand to slap you without even stating why first, but the other Horshtockian stops her. She comes to you and coos at you softly, grabbing your cheek a little painfully. She calls you cute names and pats your head before giving you something from her pocket, which you recognize as a few Horshtockian coins. Natasha seems angry with this, but doesn't dare to oppose the stout woman. After squeezing your face uncomfortably she says her goodbyes and goes back into her room. Natasha waits patiently until she leaves and then mercilessly slaps you so hard you almost fall to the ground.  
"What took you long?!" she whispers harshly. "Go to quaters now!!!" You quickly rush out of her way, soon arriving at the cook's bedroom.  
Inside you find Aghata, Bill, Tomeek and Al, all quickly hiding their hands and raising their heads to you, relieved to see it's you. You close the door behind you, looking out if anybody is listening in, then ask what's going on.  
"We're writirng lertters," Aghata whispers.  
"Yes, we have conceived a plan on how to gather up the forces." She shows you one of the papers.  
You're a little unsure what to make of it. It looks more like a cooking recipe than a message. Weird words describing foods and ways to prepare them... but you notice that every now and then a weird symbol covers one of the letters. "We have used this for a few years now, to warn each other of, uh... 'Budget cuts'." She grimaces painfully at the words. "Usually we'd have to use the painfully slow 'maid mail', which is mostly just dumb luck whenever the maid we have been able to give the message to happens to be assigned cleaning the right room. It would usually také days, even weeks, before our message got anywhere..."  
"Burt thris trime, we harve a bertter wray," Aghata smiles toothily, pointing her head to the window. You look out, but don't see anything, looking back to Aghata questioningly.  
"Oh, she must've hidden again..." Al wonders, then turns to you. "We mean your avian ally. She'll be the perfect link between us and the other slaves."  
She gathers up the papers and places them in front of you on the bed. "You see, there are three main layers of slaves here. The high are the most trusted by Purpur. They have excellent placing, but sadly, they can't be trusted by us. A lot of them have turned against their brothers, climbing their corpses to have a spot in the Devil's lair..." All three cooks grimace disgustedly. "We do have a few good people there, especially Renold, who I have found out from your friend is one of Tonrüka's spies. We can use them to get info about what Purpur and her people are doing. But our main body of warriors will be the second layer. That's all the servants, servers, messengers, maids and cleaners, everybody who's under Natasha's and Miranda's watchful eyes, not trusted enough to be allowed any real movement around the House. There are about a gross of them, a dozen dozens. Most of them are young and fearful, some even untrustworthy soon-to-be climbers, but mainly the cleaners and maids are good men and women who are sure to be on our side." Before continuing, Al makes sure nobody is around. You notice Ultra climbing around the window almost soundlessly, its huge yellow eyes gleaming in the darkness of the outside. Al takes a deep sad breath, resuming her talk. "Last, there are the third layer... the sex workers. There are two types, the 'clean' ones and the 'loose' ones. Clean ones are women and men trained to be companions. They are taken care of with food and regular cleaning, hence their name. The loose ones... they're the ones who do not submit. Purpur doesn't even bother counting them. They're kept in terrible conditions down under the House of Purpur. They're the ones that serve as no more than toys for the Horshtockian soldiers to play with in cruel ways..." She shivers with fear and disgust. "I don't want to even think about it... There are possibly about a hundred of the loose ones, maybe two. They're... quite temporary, Purpur buys them in bulk from the lowest costing slaves from Krakogröw. Not many live to see more than the next arriving group. Most of them have had their tongue cut out, the ones who have survived are severely damaged, both mentally and physically." Al takes a moment to regain her composure. "But together, they could be a powerful force. The best would be to... oh stars forgive me, to let them loose on the Horshtockians during the revolt." The words seem to be like vomit in her mouth, choking her with disgust. 

Yarnus sat and mulled over the situation. "They dèserve thĕír freedōm as much ăs any ōthèrs. Perhaps fightīng for ĩt might hĕlp some recôver." What those slaves have gone through was probably beyond his most horrid imaginations. He could feel a sickening knot in his magic just thinking about it. "It might be hardër to ørgánîzë thëm or evĕn warn them of what is to come. Përhaps the othėr workers can gúidē them if therê's not any that can lead within thèm."  
The whole group was quite in reflection for a while before Yarnus added, "We’ll prōbably need thėīr nũmbers if Purpūr doësn't mové enoúgh of hēr troøps out âgainst the ărmy. I just höpë they căn tell the difference between Půrpurs troops ănd othėr Horshtôckians."  
The other slaves resumed their writing while Yarnus stepped up to the window. Ultras form is hard to see in the darkness, but with his familiarity of the avian he knows it’s out there. "I see you’rë being more active in this than I thóught you woůld be." A disembodied huff of air was his only answer. "I’m not suré how longer Tzäcl’s gůard will be aslëep, büt now mīght be a goŏd time to introdũcè yōursèlf ĭf you want. I told him I hād a way to escăpe if īt come down to ît, but didn’t explain more. Hĕ’s worrįêd abôût me and cõūld get üpset įf he saw yóū fly ōff with mē íf he dĭdn’t know ąbout yoũ." 

It's kind of amazing to see the giant beast nimbly climb around the wall, its talons keeping it steady on the cobblestone wall. Ultra climbs over the window, its body curving around it from the tip of its boney nose to the end of its feathery tail.  
"I shall first deliver tonights post." You barely see its big toothy grin in the darkness. "But I shall meet your friend soon after..." It keeps silent for a second, as your eyes slide over the elegant curves of its feathers and limbs. Then its cawing voice catches your attention again. "I must say, dear friend... I have dreamed of this day for many a year. Perhaps, after Purpur's is no more, I can be known among the horned kind as an angelic saviour instead of a clawed demon. Do you think perhaps they will make idols of me? I would enjoy tremendously even a small wall painting, or a glass window in my image..." You chuckle at the creature's talk, imagining it drawn in the style typical of the grasslander architecture.  
The others finish the lists, crumbling them up and giving them to Ultra. Bill and Tomeek seem cautious of the beast, so does Aghata still, but Al seems mesmerized and amazed of its bizarre visage. Ultra kindly lets her pet it between the eyes like a horse, closing its big yellow eyes and puffing up its feathers slightly. Then, it jumps off, its pockets full of messages, and with a silent flap of the wings disappears among the houses and towers.  
"There. Things are looking well for us so far. But we've only just started..." Al turns to you and the others. "We should get rest. Tomorrow, we'll still have to work like any other day..." 

Yarnus lazily smiles at Al as she heads to her bed. As easy as she accepted Ultra, he wonders how she'd deal with Violets sons. If Cometa didn't want to have any more employees then maybe Violet would since it seemed they were basically alone.  
"Hēy Al?" The head cook turned to face him. "Thánk yöu for all thât yoũ'vė done. Dón’t wórry abøut what comes åftër. I'll help you howévĕr I cąn when ēveryŏne is freë."  
"Ah shucks, you don't have to thank me." She turns away and pulls back the covers. "But yeah, I do kinda worry about where to go after all of-" gesturing around the room she continued. "This life is all I know. There's a number like me I suppose, but I'm not like Tomeek. I wasn't something outside these walls and I don't have anything waiting for me out there." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "It scares me."  
"It scarĕd më tøo." Yarnus takes off his coat and tries his best to dust off his foot prints. "I was tôrn from my home ānd thrown into the unknown… twicè actually." He briefly chuckles at the similarities. "First when I left the Weavërs fōr the Jarls ånd again when I came here." A exhausted yawn escaped his jaws as he prepared his bed. "My bĕst advice ïs to make various friends. I have a lot of diffërent fríends here and it's made ąll thé dífference." Yarnus played with the string bracelets on his arm while he laid on the bed. "Oh ănd beforė I førgĕt… if anyōne asks, I came back distressed ŏver a guard threatenîng to break my hąnds. I currèntly owe Tzáclkratz the Horrible my livelihõod. He'll call õn me lăter."  
"Hrey. Isrn't thart your frienrd wre carme for?" Aghata punched the rather flat pillow on her bed.  
"Yéąh. Pũrpũr īs fond of him, so he can probábly get close to her. We just nēéd…" another yawn interrupted him. "His cøllar needs to cóme öff so he can ùse his magìc. She's gôt the kėy." Yarnus voice began to slur as he fell asleep. There was no telling what sort of dreams would come tonight.  
  


You sit at the grand table with Purpur in the head, rich Horshtockians all around you, all acting as if they couldn't even see you. The light in the room is both a bit too bright and too dim to see properly, making your eyes and head hurt. Nobody speaks, their faces clear of any emotion, but you can hear chatter all around. The kitchen door opens and dozens of well dressed grasslanders,all looking eerily similar, come out with platters and trays of food. All put them on the table at the same time, a big silver plater with a lid now in front of you. You stare at your own reflection in the shiny surface as the grasslander server lifts up the lid.  
Horror fills your entire body at the sight of a bloody skeletal arm sitting atop a few lettuce leaves, the skin slashed diagonally like a fillet. You look up to see more body parts, legs, torsos, heads, on every platter in front of every guest. Afnun, sitting across the table from you, grabs a leg from his plate and throws it towards you. It lands on the table with a hard thump, blood spattering over you. As you look back to your own platter, you see Maiden's head, his eyes rolled back in his skull.  
  
You jerk awake, your heart racing, whole body covered in cold sweat. You sit up on your bed, the only source of light in the room faintly coming from the fires outside the window. You try to ease your grip on your sheet, taking a deep shaky breath, realizing there are tears in your eyesockets only as you close them.  
"Hey..." You look towards the bed beside you, the source of the soft spoken word. "Are you okay?" It's Al, although you can't see much of anything from her in the darkness. "If you're afraid you can sleep in my bed." She chuckles lightly. "Not to make ya feel like a kid, tho you do look an awful lot like one, heheh. In any way, we can talk until you feel better..." 

"Umm," he hesitated, twisting the sheets almost hard enough to tear the cheap fabric. "I-I wouldn't mînd talking. Maybe lèărn more aboŭt this plàce." His gaze falls over to Al who pulls back her covers to invite him over. The rest of the room seems deep in sleep as he slides out of bed and up into hers.  
He settles in with his back to her and her chin resting on his head. Her good arm lightly strokes his before resting around his torso.  
"Nightmares eh?" He nods, slightly bumping against her jaw. "New people get those a lot. Wanna talk about it? It helps sometimes."  
"Yeah. Maybê if I say it I wõn't think įt quite so müch." Yarnus recounts his dream and adds in the other one he had under the influence of sleeping powder. "Watch your head in thè head room. Then tonight I drêamt of hèads. I feēl like… somėthìng is güiding mĕ, wárning më. Bút then agaín įt could be just dreāms." He curls up a little by her side. "Is there anything weird aboũt Purpur? I've learnéd that not all Horshtockians are likē her and the slavers. Why is that? Did they chånge ôr did shē?" He looks up at the ceiling waiting for a reply, hoping that Al hadn't fallen asleep while listening. 

Al listens to your dreams in silence, her gentle strokes the only indicator she's still awake. When you finish your thoughts, she chuckles lightly in disbelief. "Damn, you sure have some awful nightmares," she whispers, "that's a really terrifying image..." You can hear her gulp as she takes an uneasy breath. "I had to cook a person once. A guest of honor had come to Purpur's, a high priest from the Svyatynya, a sacred place of the Horshtockian religion from beyond the mountains. With him he brought this young cavedweller..." She shudders. "I'm not sure if it was a punishment or some religious nonsense but... they ordered me to boil her into broth. I see that thick red meat and blood on my hands anytime I close my eyes..." She shudders harder, holding you closer. "That was back when I had both my hands. To be fair, Purpur didn't eat it, and she didn't look happy about it either. She's..." Al takes a while to think through her words. "She's... she awokes things in people. Especially the Horshtockians. For decades, Horshtockians have treated their slaves... fairly enough. But then she came along. She awoke this... feeling of superiority in them, like this idea that we are and always were made to serve them. And the others caught on, because they suddenly felt comfortable to do so. Until then, there weren't even that many slavers, but when she turned us into nothing more than produce with no rights or dignity in their eyes, things changed for the worse, much much worse." She sighs, rubbing her thumb over your skull softly. "I guess the Horshtockians felt like it before her too, she just did what everybody only thought about. I guess that's also why she's gotten so rich and popular with them..." 

He is hesitant to mention the Horshtockian roast seen when he first met Ultra. Such a beastly action seemed fitting for the avian creation. Yarnus closed his sockets, the visuals haunting him didn't return. Still a feeling gnawed at his bones.  
"I miss hóme." The words felt as if he hadn't said them in forever. "I'm wôrríed aboůt my sister. She wås only allowed to servé as a royål guard becàuse øf më. Wïth me gonë shē's only a Karl, å bōrn cômmòner."  
"Wait a moment." Al interrupted. "I thought you were born a slave? How's your sister not the same?"  
"Adal īsn't really my sister, more of a rëally clõse friend that I consider fämily. Her family fõstered hĕr to thē Wéavers during wĩnter ąnd tô ŏther placês sö she coüld decide on what trådē to follow. I was a Thrâll of the Weăvers for almost as long as could rēmember. I had jůst met ādulthoòd whèn I first met Kįng Jarl. I had-" a strong shiver ran down his body. "I had donĕ somēthing tĕrribly bad ąnd was sĕnt to him to bê pũblicly execůted, tŏ prêvent øther slavés from gétting any ideas. It was thė family of the victíms demànd."  
Al had stilled her movements and for a moment he got nervous. "It was self defense ånd ąn accidėnt, but for a slave to kill sõmeone highër than them īt was únhêard of to gø ŭnpunished. But I told hīm the truth, showed it tò him evèn, and he pardoned me." Yarnus chuckled lightly, "Hé still ‘killëd thė slávė’ as we sąy. He carved the Jarls rŭne over my slave mark, renamed me tó Yárnus, and in a way adøpted mê."  
"Sounds like a fairy-tale," Al nuzzled the top of his skull sleepily, "though it doesn't seem to be a happy ever after."  
"Currently no. Būt if I heard right it sèems thát the supply lines are being cût off. After that dream I håd, I thīnk pøisoning the gėnerals dinnėr should be done soön, before the ärmy starts its attàck. If we don't weaken them…" Images of heads on every platter crosses his mind. "Thìs ïs wär, but I'd räther not be the cause of unnēcessary deaths." 

"Poison the general huh," Al mumbles, "that won't be easy. Chief Alexei is as paranoid as he is skilled in battle. He and Purpur constantly butt heads over who's really in charge of this place. She owns the House, he's the general of almost every soldier here. Used to be a chief of the tribe that later became the town of Krakogröw, the biggest Horshtockian group in Glasswöll. He has his own kitchen and his own tasters, but they're our friends. With that big bird guy we should be able to plan something... But if Alexei dies, it won't be the end of our troubles. He has two sons, Radim and Vsevolod, two real pieces of shit with lots of respect..." Al thinks for a moment, humming in thought. After awhile she speaks up again in a whisper. "Maybe it would be better to kill those two. Alexei is real proud of them, if we kill them, he'll be crushed. Or even better, we'll kill Vsevolod, the older son and dad's favourite. That'll impede Alexei and make Radim act like an idiot to get his dad's attention, rushing into battle and hopefully making dumb mistakes." 

"That’s á great idêa!" Yarnus sits up on one elbow to look at Al. "I’m not sure what the effēcts of thé poison I håve are, bůt I know thērē’s timè ēnóugh to úsè an ăntïdote. How soon should we do it?"  
"It can wait for tomorrow. Even if the supplies are cut off we have enough in storage to cover a few days. His kitchen has less and would probably borrow from ours. Then we can ‘accidently’ send over some spoiled goods."  
Yarnus seems to focus on nothing for a moment. "Perhaps the poison shoůld bē dïlūted ĩn äll the food, bůt fülly dosèd in Vesvo... the ølder sòns fõŏd. That wāy thė whole kitchen will get sick ăs well and not suspected. Since thēy’ll háve the antidote they’ll recòver and the others will be sìcker longer ìf they survive." A slightly unsettling smile crosses his face. "If yöu tell Nātasha you notĭced sòme odd fungus ôn the shipment before īt’s sent then she and by assŏcĭation Pürpur wòuld be tö blamë for the génerals sīckness and loss of his son. It would cause evēn moré pròblems between thè twõ."  
He lays back down, feeling a bit better about the mission but still not quite comfortable to sleep alone. "But still, I haven't met thōse pèoplè and they might not wïsh tø risk their lives so directly. It would jůst be an idea they’d havé to agrēe to." 

Al grins widely at the thought of Natasha getting the blame. She chuckles darkly, then holds you closer. "It'll probably be us who carry all the food over, maybe some of the servers too. We'll have plenty of time and opportunity to spread the poison. I'm thinking, to be safe, we should poison only one type of food, the one they are sure to eat. I'm thinking redkwiches, that or the pomaraach juice. There's also the slovmead, but the alcohol could react badly with the poison, ya know..."  
For a while she's silent, thinking about the plan. After a while of deep thought, she turns her face to you in the darkness, the shapes of her face barely visible. "I hope they execute her." For a moment you don't know who she means. "Natasha. I hope she dies at the hands of her beloved masters. But if not... I want to be the one who kills her. Though, heh, i'm probably in a long line for that already. Pretty much everybody has her deathwish in mind here. She's a cruel bitch. She's the one... who..." She raises her stumped arm and you nod understandingly, but she shakes her head. "She didn't chop it off, she wouldn't have damaged Purpur's best cook. I wish she did. No, she slashed my palm with a knife for stealing food. The wound got infected. But I was refused any medical help. So, when the infection kept spreading, I did what I had to do to survive..." She keeps silent for a while, looking at her stump, contemplating. "Although I'm scared of what's gonna happen to me if Purpur falls... I can't wait for them all to die." 

Yarnus take Al’s hand in his and gives it a small squeeze. "It may be rough, but whatevër follows will be bettĕr." luckily his face is turned as he realizes that what happened in Zwezyr was worse, far worse. "Mâïden has been planning thīs for a while ând I’m sure he has somethįng įn mįnd. If ąnything I know of sŏmeone whô would bē háppy to hâvë yóu as thėĩr coōk. They maybe cøûld even fashion yòu a nėw hand if yöu wished."  
He pulls up the covers over his shoulder and settles in. "I kinda wish this place wąsn't’ such a horrïble rėminder of what has happèned here. Likë måybe ît could be rėbúïlt or rëfashionĕd into ä new town." A yawn takes over his thoughts before he finished. "One thát all the dîfferent people coŭld call home." 


	66. Beautiful Skyn

Al humms in thought at your words, keeping silent. Not long after, you both drift into good deep sleep...   
You wake up with loud banging on the door, Al almost throwing you off the bed as she instinctively gets up, catching you at the last moment. Natasha yells something over the door, then storms off as all three cooks begin to quickly put on their clothes.   
"Breakrfarst's hrere huh?" Aghata asks, getting a nod from Bill in response. She gets up and so do you, putting your clothes on, hiding the poison filled wrist pincushion under your sleeve, and following the others back into the kitchen.   
This time Natasha doesn't make you peel anything, letting you to help the others cook, as well as make a meal for Afnun. Al and the others enjoy helping you make a spicy omelette with mushrooms, and you're once again requested to carry the food to your master.   
The dining hall seems a bit more chatty than before. Everyone is talking over one another, appearing a bit angry and distressed, and you try your best to catch some of their talk. It seems they're talking about the supply routes. Purpur looks very angry and her wrinkled face seems even uglier than before.   
"Molchat'!" she yells at once and everybody falls silent. After she's sure all eyes are on her, she begins to speak about what to do. She says she'll have her pantry opened to the chief and his sons, who are by the sound of it very on edge and angry about the supply routes, especially the paranoid Alexei. She says that this is just some dumb attempt of the filthy slave races to put a rock in her shoe, and that she'll have none of it. She'll have her river tower armed up to take the attackers down at once. The sooner she puts a hard end to this, the sooner will they realize there is no point in trying to fight the proud House of Purpur.   
The others cheer at this, and it's only as you see Natasha look around the room that you realize you've stood there and listened the whole time. Luckily you manage to hide behind a huge fur coat and give Afnun his meal before Natasha notices you're still there.   
You quickly return to the kitchen, the other cooks scrambling away from the door in fear of being caught listening. When they see it's you, Al quickly runs to you, hand open.   
"We'll be asked to carry the food over, give us the-"   
The door bursts open and Natasha comes in, her boots clapping loudly on the stone floor. She looks over you strictly, then points to the pantry. "Lady Purpur want you to carrey food to barracks, now," she says. You turn to go with the others, but Natasha grabs your shoulder painfully, turning you around harshly. "You, tailer, you come with me." She grabs your wrist and begins to drag you away, Al and the others staring your way in panic. It's Tomeek who stops her, grabbing a plate and smashing it on the floor. Natasha turns to him, fury in her eyes.   
"Dumb rab-bit! Topornyy!" She lets go of you and comes to him, grabbing him with one pair of arms to slap him harshly with the other. Al quickly comes to you and you hastily slip her a few poison pills before Natasha finishes beating Tomeek. She seems not to have noticed anything as she comes back, grabbing your upper arm and dragging you out the door.   
You're taken down the hall, the same way you were dragged yesterday. But your hopes of seeing Tzacl again are crushed as Natasha opens a different door, pushing you inside.   
She says something in their language, along the lines of "here's the tailor". Inside the huge opulent room stands a big fat Horshtockian lady, covered with rich furs. Two tusks jug out of her lower jaw, but she still appears somewhat ladylike. She reminds you of your grandma from the weaver family, her movement, her high laugh, the way she carries her arms up in the air, even the thick layer of lipstick. Strangely, it looked better on your grandma's chelicerae than on actual lips of this Horshtockian woman.   
"Aaah, so cute you!" she says, stepping, well, waddling closer to you. She is not just fat, but downright obese, the meat on her hips swaying grotesquely. So far almost every Horshtockian you met was of muscular build, including females. She must have a very unhealthy diet... "You make clothes for Cacil? Pretty clothes! Make my clothes! Make my clothes!" She supplies her awry language skills with gesticulation to her huge chest and hips.   
"Do you have sewing things?" Natasha asks. You simply shake your head and before you can speak, Natasha waves a hand at a young grasslander standing in the corner of the room, unnoticed over all the expensive junk at first. She sends him off and tells the huge lady you'll have your equipment soon. Then she leaves, probably to yell at your friends some more.   
Soon, the grasslander is back with your things. As he's handing them to you, you notice he's very thin, even for a grasslander. Looking at him, his face is somewhat sunken and he looks very tired.   
"We have a step ladder, should you need it..." he sighs rather than speaks, going back to stand in the corner while the Horshtockian woman begins undressing. 

"Yēs please, that woůld be helpful." The grasslander peels himself from the corner and disappears for a moment. Poor fellow definitely wasn’t favored by this lady. If he had been he wouldn’t have been so thin and perhaps Yarnus would have felt some compassion for her. Instead he had to put on a fake smile as he turned to face the undressing lady. While his sister Adal was plump and occasionally carrying a surrogate child, this woman was beyond anything he had seen. The natural height difference added to the effect. He would have been caught staring if the grasslander hadn’t returned with the ladder.   
"Where do you want it?" The ladder was placed in the middle of the room before Yarnus had time to respond.   
"Thĕre is fīne." The grasslander just sighs again and goes to his corner as the woman steps up. Her hands lightly holding a dressing gown closed in front of her and a swath of fabric over one of her other arms.   
"This skyn. Pretty skyn." For a moment he was confused at the word she used before she held it out. "You make pretty dress." 

A little nervous, you inspect the "skyn" closely. It's a very fine fabric, sort of like silk, stretchy and smooth, but a bit thicker and more robust. You wonder if perhaps it really is a skin of some strange animal, although you can't imagine what kind of animal. It's a light red colour, fitting into the red and gold style of the room and its owner.   
Not seeing an alternative, you get to work. You begin taking her measurements, which is quite the task on its own, then use your safe pins to start designing a rather simple dress, long over the legs with baggy sleeves. The grasslander servant brings over various other materials, decorative hem laces, thick golden thread, even jewelry. You decide to play it safe and use the style you've seen here the most, although with your own touch.   
You get to work, while the woman won't stop trying to talk to you in her broken tongue of the cave. She blabbers and warbles, her high voice sounding like repetitive tweeting of a bird. She tells you about her puppy dog she used to have and how she had to put him down because he had gotten too big. When she starts talking in similar ways about her previous servants, you lose all hope you initially had of liking her.   
As you patiently sew the rather hard to work with fabric, she starts talking about some sort of 'collection' she had the opportunity to see, down in the cellars of the House, belonging to Purpur. She talks about a large fish tank and a 'dark infinite hole'. You kind of want to ask about it, but you're too afraid to speak a word should it alert her. Better to just let her ramble on and on...   
After a few hours you finish your work. A red gown with golden lacing around the cleavage, the upper shoulders and the lower hem. With the thick golden thread you create a bit of shirring on the side, tight up on the side and coming looser the lower on the dress. You take care to make it all big and free enough to handle some stretching. After finishing, you and the grasslander servant help her put it on, then give it a finishing touch of a thin necklace with a ruby stone and a golden tiara to make up for the lack of horns or hair.   
With your job finally done, you stand back as the Horshtockian comes to see herself in the mirror, gasping and laughing amazedly. She turns this way and that, looking over the shirring, praising you for a job well done while simultaneously not paying you any attention. The grasslander carefully sidesteps around her to come closer to you, leaning to talk.   
"Nice work," he whispers, "I heard the masters talk about you. Purpur is very interested in you, since you're a Remind and all, she's always very interested in those. This outta give you a good name. Maybe she'll convince your master to sell you to her..."   
You stare at the woman, as she keeps admiring herself in the mirror. Seems like you have a moment to talk, should you want to say anything. 

Something feels odd about this fellow recognizing him as a remind. Al had assumed he was a cavedweller child, but then again Afnun may have been bragging about having a remind slave. Either way it wouldn’t hurt to keep up his slave facade. "Master Afnun wĭll do as hé wïshës." He turned away to watch his work being praised and despite the situation it made him a little bit happy. "While he īs herë, my sêrvíces belóng tø the Hoũse of Purpŭr. Perhàps onê day I’ll be allowed tô dress thë Lády hêrself."   
" _And fill her bustier with poisoned needles,_ " he thought to himself. Actually, that wasn’t too bad of an idea. He’d have to think about how to manage to hide them in the folds. The smaller skeleton leaned towards the other skeletal, "What was thát she wás trying to say about a collēction? Who åré these wõmen around hêre? I met ánother thát gave me mōnêy for no åpparênt reâson." 

"Oh, don't you know?" the grasslander frowns at you in confusion. "They're the highbloods, ladies from rich Krakogröw families. Every woman in Krakogröw dreams of getting close to Purpur, and to live here with her is considered the true achievement of aristocracy. She only allows the most nobiliary and rich of the highbloods to live in the House." He shakes his head wrinkling his nose in slight disgust. "Most are from slaver families, but they've become... detached. They try to act like noble and good owners, even when..." He stops, then gulps, quickly changing the subject. "I-in any way... the collection, yes? Purpur has a grand collection of rare and magical items. I don't k-know much about it, but a friend of mine has been there once. He says it's mostly weird junk, but there's also strange creatures from far away lands, and the pit. They say it's a hole that leads to hell itself. Purpur keeps it shut tight with heavy metal doors, out of fear that something would climb it's way here..." He gulps again, shaking slightly. "I don't want to even think about it. I-It's not my place to snoop, anyway. I'm just a servant." It seems from the way he speaks he sees himself as nothing more than a slave, probably from living as one his entire life. He's young, barely a head taller than you. But his tired eyes, the way he's malnourished, he looks like an old man on the verge of death. 

For a moment he wonders if the ‘hell hole’ is the same sort of spot as the brain-tree was, a part of the under-void as Omega had called it. Perhaps the one that he met there could escape through it. That is if the under-void even connected in such a way. "I havēn't bêen ín this ărea for løng and only in Krâkŏgröw ą fëw days. Since I was born å slave în my old lands it wăsn’t too much of a shock to be collārēd again. Thoůgh…" Yarnus lowered his voice to a whisper. "I’m not growing fond of thè treatmĕnt here." He stepped aside and gathered up a remnant of the fabric, tightly coiling it and binding with a length of thread.   
"Dŏ you thïnk your friénd cŏŭld lead mė to the hŏle?" Yarnus looked to the young grasslander, judging his reactions before deciding to place normal or paralyzing pins into the ‘repair packet’ he had made. "If wørse came to worse, I coŭld jũmp ĩn." he nervously chuckled as he handed over the packet. "Thîs might comĕ in handy lątĕr, just make sure you don’t stick yourself." 

The grasslander looks a bit on edge at the question, as if he didn't understand what you even said. After a while his eyes get a bit wider in realization, and he slowly straightens his back, blinking in stress. The remains of his tail, cut off just like Tomeek's, twitch nervously, and he gulps before speaking in a hushed tone. "W-will your master... a-allow that?" he stutters, looking to you. "I mean, he looked pretty s-strict..." After a moment he looks to you, trying to appear calm and serious. "You... you feel different than a slave. M-maybe it's because you're a remind, though if I didn't hear it from the other remind, I would've mistook you for a cavedweller runt." He inches closer, looking over to see his master still preoccupied with herself. When he sees it's safe, he leans in even closer to whisper. "You work in the kitchen, right? If you get us some food, I'll have my friend show you how to get to the collection. It's guarded, but the guard is very easily bribed, if you have any money." 

"Food is tight at the mōment, but I do hāve some money for bribes. If I can’t get any foōd now I cån at least gïve my word thåt I will once we have supplïês cōmíng in agāīn." The grasslander looks even more confused.   
"But if you…?"   
"I’m nòt jumpìng in tonight. I just reąlly wånt tò see it ànd what’s down therē. Bėsidēs, I côuld earn some favor wīth my master if thëre’s something öf ĩnterest tõ hìm. Maybe he won’t sėll me to Pürpur afterâll." Yarnus pauses to pick off some lint and tidbits of fabric off his coat. It felt funny to dance around what he really meant, but if Al hadn’t trusted this fellow or his friend to get a message last night, then it was probably safer to keep up a front for now.   
"If yóur friĕnd finds that āgrēéable he can prõbably find me tonįght when I return tō Tzåcls chambers to tăílor hĭs pants." If the other servant was trustworthy that would be a safer place to talk than here. "I am Yarnus. Whăt are yoûr and your friends names?" 

The grasslander looks a bit disappointed, even reluctant, but then just sighs and nods. "I'll trust your word, but I hope I'm not making a mistake. My master often... forgets to feed me." He looks to her quickly to make sure she didn't hear. "Perhaps... you can sneak out at least some table scraps? I'll take anything." His pleading eyes turn to her again, raising his hand to shake yours once he's sure it's safe. "My name is Jozef. My friend is named Hynek. I'll see him at dinner, so I'll let him know to meet you at the remind's place later in the evening. His master is very fond of drinks, so he should not have a problem sneaking off for a moment." He checks his mistress again, then looks to you, still holding your hand in his, gently putting another over it. "I-If you get caught, please, don't tell on us, I beg you. Miss Natasha would have us killed, or worse, transferred to the loose ones." He shivers, his breath short in fear. "B-But better not get caught at all, yes? Haha..." 

His small skeletal hand presses on top of theirs before pulling away. "If I have to gíve up my öwn dinnër, I’ll at least bring something. Bút fór now I nèèd to get back to the kîtchen to see whąt I can do. It’s probąbly nēar lunch by now." He’s about to turn to the Horstockian woman when he realized something. "Oh, and be súrè not tõ steal ány food yoùrsēlf for nøw. Wîth the shortagé the pūnishmĕnts will prôbably be higher." Even if they didn’t get caught it would be terrible for someone to get poisoned just for being hungry.   
Yarnus gathers up his supplies and carefully raises his voice enough to be heard. "Máster Afnun will be pleàsēd to knôw yoŭ thât you are happy with my work. Hõwevêr, I do not wïsh to keêp him wåitįng for lŭnch. May I be excused?" 

The lady turns to you with a smile frozen on her face, then frowns, not understanding you. The grasslander repeats your words in her language and she laughs in understanding, nodding and gesturing you to the door, all four hands lifted up in the air in that strange snobbish posture. You give the grasslander one last look before leaving out the door and making your way into the cook's bedroom to drop your things.   
You don't find the other cooks there, a little anxious where to go, when the door slams open. As expected, natasha is standing there, her strčit eyes landing on you.   
"What took you long?! Go, make food for your meester!" You quickly rush to the kitchen to find the others already hard at work. Natasha shoves you inside and slams the door shut behind you, then runs off to take care of other slaves.   
"Whrere harve ya breen so lrong??" Aghata asks as she dices some yellow root vegetable. You explain you've been making a dress for some big Horstockian woman. "Wow, proprular, airn't we?" she laughs through her huge teeth. Al calls you to her to help her wash some wrinkly leaves that smell like broccoli. Once you're close she whispers gleefully. "We've done a great job spreading the poison, and nobody suspects a thing. I even told Natasha I saw some mold, but she told me off, just like planned." Her smile couldn't get any wider. "With help from the other kitchen, Vsevolod dies tonight, and the rest of the barracks get very sick." Her smile falls a bit, replaced with a face of worry. "I just hope nobody connects the dots. The supply routes, food gone bad, new arrivals..."   
"No afraid," Tomeek whispers from the other side of the table, rolling some dough. "Purpur am's proud, look down to slaves. She won't admit we am smart enough to do plan." Al grins at his words, then looks to you. "I think he's right. At least his thought is, though not so much his grammar," she chuckles, then leaves to slice the crunchy leaves.   
You work, letting others help you to make another new meal, ribs of some lean animal cooked in honey with a side of spicy sauce made from crushing a strange kind of vegetable somewhere between a pepper bell and a tomato. The way Al prepares it, crushing different herbs in between her fingers and smelling them to figure out the right combination, you imagine she must really yearn for freedom. You imagine her working for Cometa, and can't help but smile widely at the thought.   
Time comes for you to bring over your meal to Afnun, and you carefully make your way to the diner. As you place the meal in front of him, a high voice calls out and you jump in shock as you see fingers pointed at you. Your soul stops beating for a moment, terrified you've been found out somehow, but your fear is calmed down as you see it's the big lady, in her new dress, pointing to you and joyfully praising your work in front of other ladies like her. You notice Purpur looking at you with an approving smile, which makes you almost nauseous, but, behind her, you notice someone else. The jester. Through his mask you catch a glimpse of their eyes, and it shocks you to see they are not the empty sockets of a grasslander or a horshtockian, nor are they colorful irises of a remind or a cavedweller. No, they're not like either of those... but before you can figure it out, they hide behind Purpur and out of your sight.   
"TAILOR!" You jump again as you feel a hand land on your shoulder. Turning around you see Tzacl, dressed in his new clothes, holding a glass of some beverage in his hand. "COME INTO MY QUARTERS AFTER DINNER TONIGHT! I WISH FOR YOU TO FINISH MY GOWN AT ONCE." You just nod, then bow a bit, trying to make it seem more believable. Tzacl stand there awkwardly for a moment before clearing his throat and returning to his table. Oh boy, you hope his acting won't raise any suspicion..."   
Shortly after, you are dragged back to the kitchen by Natasha, and each are given your ration. It's quite measly, only a few vegetable slices, two pieces of bread and a chunk of dried meat, but you imagine it's better than many other slave rations. You're forced back into your room, finally given a bit of a break. Al waits before Natasha's steps disappear down the hall, then smiles at you.   
"Everything is coming together nicely, don't you think?" 

Yarnus slowly chews on a vegetable piece while compressing the bread around the dried meat. It’s only lunch and the moist pieces wouldn’t keep well for the evening.   
"Whartchar doring Yarnurs?" Aghata asks as she tears into the rations.   
"I met a slave nåmed Jozëf who gāve mē some ĩnformàtïon that might be hèlpful agąinst Pùrpùr. I’m not sure how helpful, būt his frìend Hynek might take me there tonight to seė." He wraps the ration in a bit of scrap and slides it into his coat pocket before fishing around under the thin mattress for the coins he was given the other day.   
"Půrpur hides sŏmëthing în her bâsemėnt that she’s äfraid of, ànd if my gůess is correct it may be somethĩng I knów and can pössĩbly be used against her." The coins go into another pocket before he turns to Al who has stopped eating and is just staring in disbelief. "I’ve met and befriënded strangër things than Ultra. What are the strangest rûmours yøu häve hèard aboút whąt’s down theré? Whatevér she has is probăbly ëven morē strangē than thāt jester ōf hers." 

All the cooks stare at you in silence. It's Bill who speaks, rolling up his meat piece between the two breads like you did. "Threre are dremorns. Dremorns frorm the forerst, dremorns frorm the mourntairns. Arnd frorm breyornd..." He looks to you, his face as serious as ever. "My srister... ursed to wrork fror thris ardvernturer. Threy wernt breyonrd the grarsslarnds. Breyonrd the Lighrt prlains..."   
" Beyond the Light plains?" Tomeek interrupts him, "but, you don't go beyond the Light plains, they not ever end!"   
"Oh, threy dro..." Bill nods his head, "arnd threre's a prlace lirke no orther. Threy cralldred it," he twists his mouth, trying his best to pronounce the words without his cavedweller accent, "'Bolshoye zerkalo.' It mreanrs 'The Greart Mirror'. It's a brody of warter greathrer thran the entrire grarsslarnds." For a while it's silent, everyone's eyes staring widely at Bill.   
"What did they find?" Al is on the edge of her seat. Bill looks away, shrugging.   
"Durnno... shre warsn't arlowred to sray. Threy wernt threre argairn, arnd nerver crame brack," he sighs. "Thrat wras srix yrears argo..." After a moment of silence, he tears and hands a bit of his bread and meat to you. After a bit of hesitation, so does Alice, Tomeek and Aghata.   
"Trake it," Bill says when you hesitate. "Wre strick trogethrer. Wre're a tream."   
"He's right. We won't let you go hungry," Al seconds his words. They don't back off until you accept their offering, then sit back down to finish their meals.   
"Thre jerstrer is strangre arlright," Aghata speaks after a while. "Hre airn't orne of my preoprle, trhat's fror srure..."   
"Not my, too," Tomeek nods. Bill stays silent, just nodding.   
"He's been by Purpur's side ever since I can even remember," Al says, frowning in thought. "I've never heard him speak, but I saw him whispering to Purpur's a few times."   
"I think is woman?" Tomeek says, his wording making it unclear whenever it's a question or a statement. Al shrugs.   
"We don't even know what race that weirdo is, who knows if it's a man or a woman. Or something else..." Al takes a bite of her meat. "I don't trust them either way, they freak me out..." 

Yarnus takes in the information about the jester and starts to worry about its significance. "Hâve yoŭ evèr heąrd õf ‘hûmans’. They can be just ås dangēròũs as â demon, I hąven't seen nor heard òf them here, but back hōme they were somëwhat cømmøn. Not all wėre bàd, but jŭst oné bad one could dó á lôt of damagé." He gathers the food stuffs into a bag now that there is more to hold onto. "I won’t be releâsįng any demons tõnight, but it woůld bė gõod tō knōw whåt’s døwn therĕ and think aboůt what to do wīth thēm when the ármy áttacks." 

"Hue-man?" Aghata grimaces as she pronounces the unknown word. "Nerver hreard thrat in my lirfe."   
"I wouldn't be surprised if it was a demon under that mask," Al grumbles. "Better look out for that... thing. In anyway, it'll be smart to check out what you have to work with. Maybe you can get those things to work for us, you've tamed the big bird guy, you probably know what you're doing..." The others nod in agreement, then resume finishing up their meals. A little hungry yourself you take a bite of bread and meat, but leave the rest for the grasslander you're about to meet tonight.   
Soon after, you're called in to make dinner. You let Al guide you as you make a creamy sauce made from thick l'orse milk and a vegetable that looks like purple cauliflower but tastes like an artichoke. You like the taste, it's very warm and savoury. You serve it with fried slices of a starchy tuber and a good steak of dark red meat. For Afnun, Al helps you make a sort of pork belly baked with various vegetables, almost like ratatouille, but the taste is different, more earthy and salty. With the fatty meat it makes for a delicious meal, which Tomeek happily dresses on the plate and you carry it off to the diner.   
As you give Afnun his meal, for which he thanks you with an acknowledging nod, you're stopped by a woman sitting next to him.   
"You are tailor her?" she points to the woman you've made the dress for this forenoon. You nod nervously. "Make my clothes this night." She says that without asking, or even a slight bit of care for what you have to say. She turns back to the table, shooing you off dismissively, but before you can decide on what to do, Tzacl yells across the table, startling everybody.   
"I ASKED HIM FIRST!!!" The whole room falls silent, the woman so surprised she doesn't know what to say. "HE'S MAKING MY DRESS TONIGHT!" Tzacl stands up with his hands on the table, pushing off a fork which rings against the floor.   
"Ah, excuse?!" the woman gasps offendedly. "He makes me dress. You am slave, act like slave!"   
"HE WILL FINISH WHAT HE STARTED, THEN HE CAN MAKE YOUR STUPID DRESS YOU OLD HAG!" You just stand there, mortified, your soul frozen still in your chest.   
"You insolent- Ty gryaznoye der'mo! Kak vy smeyete- Kak on posmel?!!" she turns to Purpur furiously, pointing to her chest and tzacl at the same time.   
Purpur is frowning, but not at Tzacl. you watch as she folds her lower pair of arms, her upper pair placed at the arms of her throne.   
"Pervyy sprosil on." The woman seems on the end of her rope, petrified by Purpur's response. "On moy gost', kak i vy. Konets diskussii." With that she resumes eating, and soon so does the rest of the guests, though rather silent. The woman seems to not know what to do, still staring, although with another frown from Purpur, she quickly shoots her eyes away in fear. You just stand there, unsure what to do, until you see Natasha step towards you and you quickly go back in the kitchen before she reminds you to.   
The cooks are all standing there, eyes wide.   
"W-what happened?" Al asks, all visibly terrified something bad had gone down. 

He stares back just as wide eyed as them. Then slowly a grin crosses his face. "Heh. He-he. I guêss- I gúess I’m a bit popular. Thèy werĕ fįghting over mė." He quietly begins to giggle and the rest begin to join in.   
"Sor whro worn?" Bill is the first to ask.   
"Tzacl did." Yarnus wipes a bit of moisture from his socket from his repressed laughter. "I’m not ëxàctly sūre what Pùrpũr and the lādy said, but it’s clear she favōrs hìm."   
There’s still work to be done in the kitchen and they get back to cleaning up. While Yarnus sweeps a broom under the prep table he travels over towards Aghata and grabs her attention. "I jûst thought ōf sómething. With my suddėn populąrìty they may pull me frŏm the kitchen all togêther, leaving yoũ to servē Afnun. Will yöu bê okay alone?"   
"Alorne? Ir’m not alorne." She gestured over to the others. "Bersides, threre’s worst plarces to be thran the kirtchen. I’rll be frine. I’rm mrore wrorried fror you."   
"I knów, I know." He batted at her hand petting his head. "I'm worried líke Al. Wàs thėre äny poĭson left ōvėr. I thīnk I shóüld kéep it sïncè théy’ll suspect më the least. I wasn't hērè when thè shipment wąs handled." 

"We lreft it in the bredroorm," Aghata motions where she believes the room to be, "urnder Arl's prillow, in hrer srock." She raises her head to look around the room should anybody be listening, but it's just you and the other cooks. "You probarbly shrould trake it and gro to the remrind." You nod at her suggestion, quickly finishing up and leaving before Natasha comes to scold you again.   
You make sure nobody is present as you look for the rest of the poison pills, finding them where Aghata told you. You stash them in your wrist pincushion, gathering your things just as Natasha comes in in her loud fashion and directs you there.   
Not long after you find yourself with Tzacl once again, in his room. He sits at his armchair as you come in, trying to appear indifferent in front of Natasha. When she leaves, he waits a moment, then grins, his smile appearing almost uncanny on his usually frowning face. "LONG TIME NO SEE," he says with glee. It must be all the stress he's under to show so much happiness when he sees you. Soon he tries to regain his serious posture, but it's visible he's having trouble with it. "WHAT IS THE PLAN TONIGHT?"


	67. What Crawls in the Depths

Seeing Tzacl smile brought up some sort of feeling he couldn’t place. He liked it, but something about it made him a little afraid. He couldn’t wait to have this whole espionage thing over with so that they could talk freely.  
"Well first I’d better finïsh your pants. After thàt shów earlier they may start knockíng down yõur door to get at me nēxt." Yarnus can’t help to smile as he walked further into the room. Looking around he noticed Tzacl was alone. No Martin, no other guard, not even a servant.  
Yarnus brings out his tailoring tool and motions for Tzacl to stand. "You seem tö bè doing quite well. Purpur seems to thįnk of yöu as wórthy ås thĕ highbloods hėrė." There isn’t much talk as the tailor works. He’s too busy debating what to tell Tzacl about Purpurs collection. Tzacl didn’t take news about the over-glitch very well last time and Yarnus didn’t want to add more stress to his friend. At the same time he kinda wished Tzacl would come with them, but that could jeopardize both of them.  
"Tonight will be quiet… wĕll ēxcept the dinner won’t sit well for thë géneral ānd hîs mėn. Oh well… thè heăd cook dīd warn Nātasha that théré wąs sòmething odd growîng on the sūpplíes sent to thëm." Yarnus paused to look up into Tzacl’s face, "Remind me tõ give you some of thĕ antidŏte before I leave." The other remind gave a nod of approval.  
"I héard that Pũrpûr has somē sort òf ‘cõllection’ of thíngs and creaturès fròm far öff plâces. Sôme ŏf thėm arê even things she’s afrāíd of. One of the slāves that has been there may cõme by and leàd me thĕre, bůt…" He paused as he finished pinning the pants. "I could pòssibly just usē my māgįc and just see what he hás seen. I havėn't met him yét, sö I can’t really trūst him, bůt he sōũnds like he knows hòw to get arøund thĩs place without gettîng in troublĕ." 

Tzacl listens in silence, letting you take his measurements. He tries to appear indifferent, but you notice him click his teeth nervously when you work around his pelvis. After you get to work on sewing, he sits down and taps his fingers together, hunched over, thinking.  
"PERHAPS... I SHOULD COME WITH YOU." He rubs a hand over his cuffed neck spine. "ALTHOUGH MY MAGIC IS SUPPRESSED, I STILL HAVE MY ABILITIES OF SNEAKING IN THE SHADOWS. I WILL LOOK OVER YOU-" He coughs. "-OUT FOR ANY TROUBLE. PERHAPS, WE COULD EVEN FIND SOME WAY TO RID ME OF THIS HELLISH CONTRAPTION..." He looks over the room, to the window. Out you see the dark sky, with barely recognisable shadows of buildings outside. "I HAVE HAD THE 'PLEASURE' TO MEET YOUR MANGY CHICKEN ALLY," he scoffs, grimacing disgustedly. You don't know for sure but you might have heard a low growl from outside. "HE SNEAKED UP ON ME AND I WAS THIS CLOSE-" He puts his fingers together. "-TO BEATING HIM TO A BLOODY PULP!" You listen in carefully, but don't hear any further sounds of disapproval from outside. Tzacl keeps quiet for a moment, then hums in contemplation. "BUT, IT IS GOOD TO KNOW YOU HAVE A WAY OUT, SHOULD ANYTHING GO TERRIBLY WRONG..."  
He stays silent for a long while. You sew, your work going well, wondering about the way Tzacl is acting lately. He must be under a lot of stress... But you also get the feeling the fear makes him more honest in a way. Perhaps he-  
"YARNUS." His half whispering voice crashes your train of thought and you almost jab yourself in the finger with your sewing needle. You raise your head and look to him, waiting. Tzacl is sunken in the armchair, looking more contemplative than ever, his eyesockets dim. He raises his left arm, gently tangling his fingers with his brothers arm, then sighs deeply. "IF... IF I WAS TO... IF SOMETHING HAPPENED TO ME... WOULD YOU..." He takes a while to find his words. "WOULD YOU FIND HIM?" He still doesn't look at you, instead turning his head to his brother's arm. "FIND MY BROTHER... HE IS SOMEWHERE, HERE, IN THIS DESOLATE WASTELAND OF BROKEN CODE... I HAVE PROMISED MY MOTHER, AND MYSELF, THAT I WILL FIND HIM, SAVE HIM FROM WHAT I HAVE-..." He stops, then growls, his eyes lighting up slightly for a moment. "BUT, ONCE AGAIN, I HAVE BEEN INTERRUPTED IN MY SEARCH BY THESE IMBECILES!" He grumbles, then sighs, turning to you. "YOU ARE BY FAR THE MOST... CAPABLE VOID TRAVELER I HAVE MET. IF ANYBODY CAN FIND HIM, IT WOULD BE YOU. SO..." He turns his serious stare to you, his irises dimmed but still burning intensely. "SHOULD I BECOME INCAPABLE, WILL YOU FIND AND BRING MY BROTHER HOME?" 

As Tzacl spoke Yarnus felt a pressure in his chest. His magic churning around his soul. He had caught the words unsaid. The thought of Tzacl dying hit him hard. The fact that Tzacl had caused or at least felt blame for his brothers situation was terrible. But he had already made one promise to the tall skeleton and that stood in the way.  
"I-I can't." He raised his hands up defensively without looking at Tzacl. "I dön't mean I réfusë, būt…" Yarnus looked to the other skeleton, but he was already holding back his magic enough to not be able to read Tzacls emotion. "I promisĕd yøu thăt I wôuldn't pry ìnto your mind. And I hāvēn't. But I woûld need to know whât håppened. Everything you knŏw, even… even the părts you don't want to share. I dōn't evēn know whát you're brother lõōks like. I cõuld have lĩtèrąlly met him änd not knŏwn."  
His hands shake as he sets aside the sewing and walks over to the armchair, gently taking Tzacls free hand in his. "I'm not an expēriénced Void traveler. I néed yòů. I need Omêga. I need Måįden ånd Afnun ànd Ultra ānd Mäshèénkâ änd many more. Everyõne I'vë met is part of my thread of fate. My lifelìnë if yōu will. Wïthøut òne I cöuld stīll go on but it wòuldn't be thë same." Yarnus paused to wipe at the moisture at his sockets.  
"I evĕn neéd…" He gave the hand a squeeze. "I-I'm sorry… I didn't want to mêntion ît sincē… Well, last tįmë yõu didn't react well, but I thïnk… There's possibly â hôle likè thë one ůnder thē tree. Omega said õvėr-glitches are stable ând powerful. If the same one is döwn thére, maybe įt can hëlp."  
Yarnus felt hurt as Tzacl wrestled his hand away. This was what he had hoped to avoid. He raised his hands to cover his sockets. He really didn't want to upset Tzacl at this moment but there was another thing on his mind.  
"Théy saĭd thêrë ąrė crèaturës frôm other worlds down theré. I think… therë jüst might bĕ, â very-very slim chancė…" He allowed his hands to drop. "It coůld be whēre your brõther is." 

Tzacl keeps his stare away from you, his teeth clenched in silent anger and frustration. He doesn't say anything at first, keeping quiet for what feels like an eternity, until finally he exhales deeply, turning to you, his eyesockets wet but only very subtly. His eyes are as serious as ever, nothing but his ever present anger burning deep in them.  
"I HAVE LEARNED THE HARD WAY NOT TO GET MY HOPES UP. BUT, I SUPPOSE THERE IS NO..."  
He trails off, listening in carefully. After a moment of silence you hear steps approaching down the hallway, quickly rubbing the remain of tears from your eyes, grabbing the almost finished article of clothing while Tzacl fixes his own attire and sits up straight in his chair. Soon enough, the steps come all the way to the door, and an anxious knock on the door sounds into the silence.  
Tzacl clears his throat, then invites the arrival with a simple "COME IN". With a long creak, the door slowly opens, and in them stands a young grasslander, very similar looking to Jozef. Hynek, as you remember his name, stands there unsurely, in the same servant clothes, his hands shaking as he just kind of stares there, his mouth agape with shallow breaths. You motion him in, but he only follows when Tzacl allows him with a similar gesture.  
"IS THIS YOUR 'FRIEND'?" Tzacl asks, you briefly look into the slave's shallow thought to confirm it really is him, then nod. "GOOD. FINISH MY CLOTHES. THEN WE SHALL GO." With that he gets up, waiting patiently by the lit fireplace. You hastily finish up, handing him the pants, then walk over to Hynek. The grasslander boy is not as thin as Jozef, but he is very shaky, his eyes as wide as dinner plates.  
"Jozef said you promised f-food," he whispers. You quickly reach to retrieve the bread and meat, only now realizing you've forgotten to get dinner. Hopefully your friends will save it for you. You give him half of what you have and the boy quickly chomps down the meat like a starving animal, stuffing the bread in his pocket for later. Once sure nobody is waiting out the hall, he motions you to follow him.  
You go silently, Tzacl following through the shadows, not making a sound, like a cat on a hunt. The boy, despite shaking like a small dog, is also very silent, leading you down the hallways, sometimes stopping you to wait until a guard walks by, evidently knowing exactly what he is doing. You imagine this is not the first time he's done this. He even stops at one door, which opens to reveal another secretive grasslander servant. They exchange a knowing nod and he hands her a small leather package before continuing.  
After going down several flights of stairs, you find yourself at a large ironclad door. Before them stands a rather rotund Horshtockian, wearing thick leather armour and various furs. As you approach, he watches you calmly, as if knowing. As you come, the grasslander turns to you expectantly, and you reach into your pocket to find your money and hand it over. The guard looks it over, grumbling something, then stepping out of the way and leaning on a wall, closing his eyes in pretend sleep.  
"Let's go," Hynek whispers and approaches the door. It's locked, but only from this side with a series of rods. There's nothing stopping you from opening them from the outside, as if Purpur was more afraid of something trying to get here from the inside.  
The door opens, a far and dark stairway appearing before you. It feels scary, terrifying even, as you can't see the end of the downward entrance. After a bit of hesitation, you walk down the steps, only then realizing Hynek is not following you. He is shaking even more than before, then looks away and back to you. "I-I-I'll stay here, t-to open the door for you when you come back, simply knock... f-five times, ok? Five times..." Then he slowly back away from the door. You stand alone on the stairway, unsure and afraid. A strange, almost indescribable sound comes from below, only scaring you more. You gather up your courage and step down, continuing your descent... 

Your downward travel is long, cold, and very dark. Even with your enhanced vision you have difficulty not stumbling, only barely seeing the outline of the steps under your feet with the faint light from the door above you. You would turn your light on, but you're afraid to should anybody from the outside see it. Finally, after what seemed like at least a hundred steps, you see the stairway ending, the smooth floor under it a dark gray-  
Suddenly you hear the screech of a boot slipping, half a gasped curse word and before you can even turn around Tzacl plummets right on top of you, throwing you onto the ground painfully. He himself seems to have hit his head quite hard, judging by his growling and cursing. He only realizes he is sitting on top of you as he tries to get up, his hand leaning onto your skull. Quickly he jerks away with a gasp and gets up, kneeling beside you and placing his hands on your shoulders, helping you get up.  
"A-ARE YOU OKAY? SORRY I SLIPPED- THOSE STAIRS ARE DARK AS HELL!!" You get up as he stands on his feet, trying to look around. "IT'S DARK HERE, TOO... GIVE US SOME LIGHT, WILL YOU?"  
You think for a while, unsure. You look back, seeing only the faintest of light coming from upstairs. They won't know it's your eyes, it should be save here... You turn on your eyes, the golden light slicing the darkness open like the thick skin of a wild boar.  
You find yourself in a big round room, with another exit on the far side. In the middle, about 4 meters wide, is a round metal lid. It's covered with two metal beams that keep it shut, but it looks like with enough power you should be able to slide them out of their holsters and get the door open.  
As you contemplate this, you notice the sound, the hum. It's the sound of the Undervoid, just under this door, under your feet. It's almost as if you can feel it on your soles, a deep vibration... It's at this time that you begin thinking, what is under your feet? Does the ground you stand on just... end? And under, there is just the endless abyss? It makes you a little dizzy, almost nauseous to think about...  
"YARNUS," Tzacl whispers sharply to get your attention, grabbing tightly onto your arm. You look up, then where Tzacl is staring. In the light of your eyes, you notice movement from the other room. Both of you stand there, Tzacl still holding onto you tightly. Neither of you want to move at first, just a little too scared... But eventually, you step forth, and Tzacl follows.  
You climb a few stairs and come into another round room, except bigger. Right in front of you, from the darkness, emerges the shape of a creature. Atop a purple undulating round body sits a large goat skull, with wild, sunken eyes. It stares at you intensely through the bars of its cage, despite the light you shine at it, completely still, two short white arms lifted slightly over its belly. It doesn't move, not the slightest bit, only it's sunken eyes seem to follow you as you slowly move past it, Tzacl still tightly holding your humerus, probably not even realizing. You go further, seeing a lying figure of a canimorph in a cage with shape following the round wall. The beast is enormous, much bigger than any canimorph you've seen so far, with large branching antlers growing out of its skull. A few branches are broken off, some with rounded edges, some a bit more fresh. It raises its head calmly but curiously, its eyes a swirling golden and green colour, looking old and wise. Its legs end with thick dull claws, more like a four cloven hoof than a paw. Despite its cervine appearance, its maw is still like a canine's, huge but blunt fangs poking out. You lock eyes with the creature for a moment and feel its age and wisdom, its calmness despite the metal its trapped here with. But before you can see more, a voice sounds into the hum.  
"Arr me matey!" The rough voice makes you jump, turning to its source on the other end of the room. The other side is covered with a single large tank, made of uneven but sturdy enough glass. As you shine inside, the glass reflects all around the room, filling it with curious shapes. Behind the glass is not very well visible because of the reflections, but above, out of the tank, the top of a skeletal creature pokes out, elbows leaning on the edge. "Whos' is ye, landlubbers?!? Arrnotha' scallywag's of's 'er Purpur's wench!"  
For a while you just stare, unsure what to even say. The skeleton has a large black hat on, which stays firm even wet, with gray hair coming down the sides. You can't say if the hair is really theirs or if it's part of the hat. The rest of their clothes, a coat, is also make of this dark thick material, that looks and smells like worn leather now that you think of it. One of their eyesockets is tightly shut, a big toothy grin on their face, the other socket shining with an iris of a dark green colour, like algae. It's probably the smell of fish that evoke that thought, coming from the water they're soaking in. It's now that your mind starts interpreting the long dark green shape behind the glass which their body continues in under the water surface as various fairytale creatures you've heard of in your youth.  
"Aye?! Talk's ya scurvy dog's!" 

The remind doesn't seem like the the merrows he knew of back home but oddly enough he sounded like how some of the old sailors used to talk. A silly home-sick grin crossed his face that was illuminated by the glass reflections.  
"Argh!? I say’s talk’s. Not ta show off yer gibby gabbers! Make it’s quick ‘fore I ‘sides ta show’as mine." The threat was impressive enough to make Tzacl pull back on Yarnus humerus, but with his eyes active he could tell that it was only a threat.  
"WE GIVE THE COMMANDS AROUND HERE!"  
"My name is Yarnus and-"  
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?"  
"This is Tzacl-"  
"TZACLKRATZ THE HORRIBLE." He corrected before pulling Yarnus forcefully towards himself. "ARE YOU PLANNING ON TELLING THIS STRANGE CREATURE EVERYTHING? DID YOU DAMAGE YOUR SKULL WHEN YOU BROKE MY-OUR FALL?"  
"He's a ‘ben-varrey’. He'll help us as long as we help him. I doubt he's fond of Purpur keeping him down here."  
"A ‘BEEN VERY’ WHATEVER CAN’T HELP US. HE PROBABLY CAN’T EVEN LEAVE THAT TANK. COME ON WE CAN FIND SOME-"  
"Cease yer yammer’n!" The remind cried out. "By the tides I should’rnt arsked." His massive body in the water shifted around more to press against the side. It wasn't the scaled body of a fish that Yarnus had expected, but a plated form with multitudes of small arms grasping at the glass. Almost as if a lobster tail had come to life on its own, gotten longer, and grew a skeleton torso for a head. 

"Yarr, ye damned right's I's dunn faverr that foul hag!" the water creature leans over the edge of the tank, running his many tiny legs over the glass in a wave like motion. "Keepin' yer's truly Fiverr away's from 'is righfel place - blimey!" He dives back into the tank, swimming along the bottom for a moment before resurfacing with a pipe in his mouth. "Arr, yer ain't be her's squires then, aye?" You simply shake your head. "Aye. I trust yee, lad," he grins, the pipe still in his teeth, "Fiverr knows a trustverthy jim lad when he's sees one." You smile at the creature, his talk, his visage, even his smell reminding you of home. "What be yer business 'ere? Ussu'ly we only get's dem fourarm'd lads 'n lass's ooglin' derr ayes at's us."  
"WHY DO YOU HAVE A PIPE?! YOU'RE A WATER CREATURE, YOU CAN'T SMOKE UNDER WATER!"  
"Ya reel yer way 'ere to ask dum' questi'ns'?" the creature, apparently named Fiverr, frowns at Tzacl annoyedly. "If you's must knew, this therre waterr be magic, " he lifts his hands and twiddles his fingers, his one open eye wide. "Aye! Ya can breathe 'nitt! Make firrre! It be frrom me home, Gulkin! Wherre everry man be fish, loike me." He squints his eye hatefully. "Arrr, all was well's till dem fourarrms snagged ol' Fiverr. I bin' stol'n from me home n put 'ere wit' dem beasts!" He motions to the others, the cervine canimorph and the staring creature which is now facing you and Tzacl, completely still like before. It makes you jump a bit, but you feel better knowing you weren't the only one as Tzacl visibly jumps. The canimorph is watching you calmly from its cage, and you just now notice a big metal box next to it, locked up tight with locks and chains. It only has a small rectangular hole in it, through which you can't see anything but darkness inside.  
"Arr..." Fiverr grumbles, sinking in the water tank to his chin, his arms still on the edge. "A sad livin' it be, 'way from me harty's n me lubber..." 

"Well it’s dēcidēd." Yarnus folds his arms. "While most wĭll wănt to burn the House of Purpũr tô the gròúnd as sóon as we can, I won’t let them. Not until evĕryōne is out and accöûnted for." How to get them out was a different problem for later, but at least he could free the canimorph and Fiverr without fear. As for the others, he might have to consult with Cometa or Violet before releasing them.  
"Ey?" Fiverr perked up and peered over the glass. "Arr ya say’n that therre witch’s met w’herr makerr?"  
"WE HAVE SAID NOTHING OF THE SORT." Tzacl scoffs, looking around nervously. No telling what might be hiding in the shadows to report back. In as hushed as he could manage whisper he added, "PLANS ARE IN MOTION TO TEAR APART EVERYTHING SHE HAS."  
"I heard rumors that she feared something hēld down here. It cŏuld bê usėful tø ús… or it could bè just as dangerous." Yarnus stepped forward and placed his hand against the glass. "You knõw morê abŏùt thīngs dõwn here than anyone else wē can talk tò. Will yóu hĕlp ůs?" 

The sailor grins, nodding and giving a rough voiced chuckle. "Aye, me lad. I'll be helpin's ya e'rry way I can." Then he shrugs, gesticulating with his pipe. "Which's to say's, not much." He leans over the glass, folding one hand over the other in a typical sailor pose with a pipe. "This here 'collection' be plentiful, but mostley useless." He turns to another door, opposite the one you cane in through, pointing to it with his pipe. "Thar be many tools n' wep'ns jim lad, which the Purrple wench knows a fish farrt aboot. Go, have a lookie!"  
A little unsure, you walk past the big metal crate and through the door, followed by Tzacl and Fiverrs watchful eye. You arrive into a room that's filled with displays, carefully carved out of wood to fit dozens of curious doodads and thingamajigs. Some look vaguely like guns or spears, other look like nothing you know off. Tzacl also seems at a loss, grabbing a metal box with springs coming out to look it over, then putting it back down. You find what looks like a blueprint for... restraining collars? It's very very old, but still readable. It looks like the very first prototype, using a special kind of crystallized pure voidrock to disrupt the users magic with concentrated amount of... corruption? emptiness?? You aren't so sure...  
"Ya ain't gonna find anythin' that be useful to ye me lads!" Fiverr shouts from the room behind. "Trust an ol' sea dog, I trried to find anythin' many times b'forre." Tzacl grabs one of the items that doesn't seem completely busted, a sort of metal rifle with green stripes. He carries it over to Fiverr who is biting on his empty pipe, grinning at him almost mockingly.  
"WHAT DO YOU KNOW?! JUST BECAUSE YOU DON'T KNOW SQUAT DOESN'T MEAN NONE OF THESE ITEMS COULD HELP US!" Fiverr points to the rifle with his pipe, a big grin on his face.  
"Me laddy, what yer holdin's is an attempt at a gleitch laserr's rif'l. I say's 'attempt' cuz it runs only's on purrrre cris-taliz'd codequarrrtz! Ay've he'rd ya need two crrri-stals of a diamet'r of at least five milimeters me lad, just to set off the chain rreaction at once. Avast! To even shoot this hell dog ya'd need's aboot four's point one ei'th four 'igajoules which's is four point's one ei'th four times ten to the powarr of nine, which ya'd then need to multipl'ay by the reactive numb'rr of yer flint n' dat be just the be'innin'! Then count the spins perrr sec' of yer reactor's n remember to keep trrack of how many ya have, then..."  
Both you and Tzacl watch in amazement as the sailor continues to explain the math behind the contraption your friend is still holding in his hands. After a while he grabs a chalk and begins to write huge chunks of formulas and calculations that you can't even begin to grasp properly. He talks in great length about things like how the spinning translates to length or something, or how weight is disproportionate to its calories??? You just stare with your mouth open as Fiverr just keeps going, for many minutes, until almost the entire wall is covered with numbers.  
"Yo-ho-ho and ei'hty fourrr point five six nine ei'ht times ten to the powerrr of twelve joules which be sixty sev'n point one cubic meterrrs of codequarrtz! Now, jim lads, wherre would ANYBODY find that kinda booty!?! Let alone STUFF it into this wreched contraption! In short..." He takes his sailor pipe stance again and grins victoriously. "That gun be completely stinkin' unusable n' useless!"  
For a long while neither of you know what to say. He bites on his pipe, grinning widely, until finally Tzacl speaks up. "IS THAT... HOW ABOUT THE-"  
"The otherr guns, aye? Nay me lad, they be rotten as well. Garrrrbage."  
" so they are " You turn around sharply, your eyes landing on the staring creature. It hasn't moved at all, but has it just spoken? " they are failed creations of a man that used to live here " It doesn't come from the creature, and it takes you a bit of searching before you realize it's coming from the metal box. " purpur understands not what he has created, only uses what she can of it. the rest she keeps still, even if useless, for she is afraid of it... " 

Yarnus looks over the blueprints again before looking back and forth between the box and Fiverr. His head spun a little bit. Probably from trying to understand the maths written out, but truthfully Fiver had lost him at about five millimeters.  
Yarnus sat down on a small box of pointless items near the canimorph to ponder the rest of the probably pointless items. There was a faint stirring behind him as the creature leaned in to sniff him. Self consciously he wondered if it could detect Masheenkas magic on him. For the most part he ignored it and focused on the blueprints.  
"This is somethĩng that ísn't a failurè. Tzacl îs wéaring a cŏllăr that keeps hīm from using mágīc and we nèed tò get it øff hĭm, or at leăst disable ít." The blueprints are handed off to Tzacl and with a bit of silent coaching, passed on to Fiverr.  
"Why wøuld ányône make such a collar? Or máke so many gŭns and lay-zars? I havèn't heard of anyone ŭsing such thìngs except…" Yarnus froze. His magic knotted up in his stomach.  
"Won…" The name barely escaped his throat. "Won used somė sort of layzar to kill Equĭlibria, he sąid she had been made før him." He slowly turned to address the darkened box. "Who lived here before Purpur?" 

For a moment it's silent. Then, through the hum, a chuckle escapes from the box. " i will tell you that, and more. i will give you knowledge you have never even dreamed off. i will make you understand the world, the void, existence itself, make your sole being synonymous with enlightenment- "  
"Thar he blows again..." Fiverr grumbles. The voice from the box is picking up from a whisper to a full voice, but it seems queer somehow, the sound itself being otherworldly, corrupted. " i will give you anything you want, everything you want, i will make you into a GOD. RELEASE ME. RELEASE ME! RELEASE ME RELEASE ME RELEASE ME RELEASE ME RELEASEMERELEASEMERELEASEMERE̶͉̤̲̓L͚͕̪̱͇͆͆ͫͨ̆́É̶̔ͥ͑A̽̃S̛ͫ̊E̞̜͇͂̈́ͧM͇̊̏Ẹ̢͔̐ͧͧ̊̏͒̃R͈̙̱ͮ͊̇̍̅̌E̙̳͖͋̎̔̔ͪ̎L̦̜̣̓̈̅E̼ͯͧͬ̓͂ ̴̺̜̞̫͍͒̇͂̆̽S͈̰͋͐̔̔͝E̗̦̩͖̜͑M̜̦̦͜E̅̌̎R̤̲̦͉̘͖̥͋̾ͮĚ̤̥̱̈́́͒ͅL̦͐̄ͭͫͯ́E͙͇̰̠͓̝͂͞A͚̺̥̞͍̽ͦ̑ͫS͙̺͔͖̼͇̻̉ͧ͗̈́̍ͧ̀̚E̡̝͖̗̣̺͕͈ͭ͂̈̿̌ͥ̅M̳͕̭͚͎͍̖̂͒̇̒̍̾E̷͔̯̮̫̟͔̩̋̓ "  
"SHUT YER TRRRAP!!" Fiverr chugs his pipe at the box which rings loudly off of it, silencing the being inside. "Enou'h with yer bilge ye slovenly rotten timbered scoundrel!" Very quiet whispering still comes from the box, repeating 'release me, release me' into infinity. "Aye, gut ache o'er therre be doin that a lot. Ne'ermind the beggin' me lads, give's 'im no thou'ht." Tzacl seems a bit unsettled, but only to the trained eye. You know him well enough to see even little signs of what he's currently feeling.  
Fiverr grabs on the edge of the tank and does what you were wondering about for the past minutes. He raises his body enough to hook his crustacean legs on the edge as well, helping him get out. Carefully he scales down the uneven glass until managing to get his feet on the ground. For such a strange creature he is quite nimble, his dozen of pointy feet clicking on the stone floor. He walks over, his wavy leg movement almost hypnotizing to watch, and picks up his pipe, rubbing it clean. "Aye, I know's o' this 'One'." He puts the pipe in his mouth and sucks on it despite it not being lit. "That scoundrel's outta be one trrreacherous, mutinous rapscallion. 'e's signed on's e'rry blu'print 'ere. Made 'em cuffs that's arre rottin' yer head n' gave 'em to the purrple devil. Ot'errr things too, but they be too dum's to use 'em, for the betta'." He approaches you, quite short when standing on his short feet, standing about eye to eye with you. "Ye know the dog?" 

"WE HAVE HAD THE MISFORT-"  
"Ï W Ī Ł L K Î L Ł H Í M"  
All eyes land on the smaller skeleton as his fists ball up. Even the murmurings from the box cease. After a few breathes Yarnus unclenched his jaw.  
"Yarr! I’s bel’eve ye knows tha blight’arr den."  
"I DEMAND TO HAVE THIS COLLAR REMOVED IMMEDIATELY! TO HAVE HIS FILTH, EVEN BY ASSOCIATION, ON MY NECK IS UNACCEPTABLE!" Tzacl was now visibly upset at the origins of his collar. Yarnus couldn't fault him. If his own collar was the same he'd be fighting to get it off by any means necessary. However something Fiverr said stuck and repeated in his skull. Tzacl had been acting strangely lately, the breakdown, the unusual cheerfulness, all of it he had assumed was stress from this place but perhaps it was something the collar was doing.  
"Yöů’re smårt with this stŭff," he placed his hands on Fiverrs shoulders. "Pleăse, do yoū knôw hôw to rëmovĕ Tzacls collăr? It almost kîlled him once, but this öne hăs bĕen ôn fõr days, ît can’t be goöd for him." Yarnus pulled back his hands, unsure if Fiverr was upset by being randomly grabbed like that. "Plĕase, I need him to be bāck to normal." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I seemed to have run out of font options for Fiverr. I'm not sure if I should make it small and bold or what. This won't be the last time you see him.


	68. What We Do In The Shadows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I had to rename another chapter because "What We Do In The Shadows" is soo-much-better for this chapter. I also nearly timed it perfectly to be Chapter 69, hehe. I'd better shut up here before I ruin anything.

Fiverr squints his eye and rubs his beard, which looks to be... made of algae?   
"Arr, I be not much technician as mathematician," he grumbles in thought. "But I'll do me best me lads..." Tzacl steps back a bit, hands still on his collar, looking unsure and distrustful.   
"THAT DOESN'T SOUND VERY-"   
A sudden loud boom shakes the entire room, making all of you jump. The noise is so loud and startling you don't know what even happened for a moment, listening to the deep rumble, coming from outside...   
The tower. It had to have been the tower. Looks like the Coalition is well at works.   
Fiverr jumps up into the tank with a big splash, more nimble than you would have thought him to be. He pokes his head out carefully, his eyes wide in shock, just listening in to the last rumbles of the collapsing building outside.   
"What in Davy Jones's locker was that?!" he says startled. You look to Tzacl, who seems confused, but then his eyes clear in the same realization.   
"WE HAVE TO GO," he says, "THEY CAN'T FIND US HERE WITH ALL THIS JUNK - THEY COULD GET SUSPICIOUS!" He grabs your arm and begins to drag you away, but before he leaves he stops to turn to Fiverr again.   
"WE'LL BE BACK, SAILOR. WE WILL NOT LET YOU ROT HERE." Fiverr doesn't even get to answer as Tzacl starts dragging you up the stairs, almost using you as a flashlight.   
You arrive at the top of the stairs, the door slightly ajar. Carefully, you look out and see that the servant is gone, the guard staring around startedly. Thanks to his confusion and fear Tzacl is able to sneak past him with you still held tightly by the upper arm. You go up the stairs and into a hall, where Tzacl stops. You don't remember how you got here, you don't even know where you are. Tzacl looks around, then turns when the rumbling of iron armour rings out into the hall. Looks like troops are approaching. Tzacl panics, but so do you, looking around for a hiding place. When the situation is the most dire, Tzacl swings open the closest door and you both quickly slip inside.   
A heavy smell of heated herbal oil fills your skull, almost overwhelming. The whole room is filled with red curtains, carpets, a huge bed on the other side of the room neatly made. It looks very comfy, the room nice and warm...   
It seems you both realize what this room is at the same time, both looking at one another with a surprised, unsure and even a bit flustered look.   
"WELL," Tzacl steps away from the door, rubbing his neck, "AT LEAST WE ARE SAFE HERE..."   
Just as he says it, heavy steps approach the door. Tzacl turns to it with wide fearful eyes, just as the doorknob turns and the door opens. Inside stands a Horshtockian soldier, a different kind of one. It takes you a moment, but you recognize him as one of the main henchmen of Purpur. He notices Tzacl first, blurting out something about looking for him everywhere, but before he can continue he notices you too.   
Silence falls, he stares at you, his eyes squinty in thought, then looks to the petrified remind beside you. After what feels like an eternity... a sly smile spreads over his face. He chuckles, grinning widely, then pats Tzacls shoulder hard.   
"Heheh, crow seets by a crow, huh?" he says. You can only guess it's their version of 'bird of a feather'. "Not though you like thees, Cecil, hehehe...."   
Tzacl stays silent and petrified for a moment, then another head pops into the door.   
"What happen heere?" It's another one of the henchmen. Tzacl looks to you briefly, then back, then back to you again. Then, shaken, he suddenly grabs you by the jaw and before you can say anything he presses his teeth to yours.   
The men at the door both laugh and say something, but you can't even hear them over how shaken you are. Feeling Tzacl hold you so harsh and tight, one hand clasped around your collar. The men at the door soon decide it seems legit enough and leave, just as Tzacl pulls away.   
You stare at the door as it closes. They've left, you mean to say, but only manage to blurt out half a word before your mouth is silenced by another kiss. But this one is much different. He still holds you tightly, uncompromising, powerful, desperate, pining. Unlike before, when Tzacl simply pressed his mouth onto yours, this is real, raw and driven by impulse. It's when you feel his tongue with yours do you realize you have not pulled away, you haven't even made a sound.   
Then, Tzacl suddenly pulls back, pushing you away hard by the shoulders. His eyes are wide in horror, his teeth still a bit wet from your saliva. He seems absolutely speechless, stepping away in fear, not able to say or do a single thing.   
It's completely silent, only his panicked breathing filling the room. 

Yarnus was no stranger to awkward kisses. Childishly dared pecks and playfully curious kisses were preferable to some lustful or manipulative ones. However, this was something he had never felt before. A painful, needful pull, as if he was filling a void within Tzacl. The desire came from his very soul and fought its way past the restraint of the collar and his own convictions. Yarnus couldn't resist it either. Part of him was willing to be consumed for the sake of the other.   
  
That's what made the sudden rejection so painful.   
  
It was as if time froze for a moment. All their interactions played through his head again. Tzacl had publicly fought over him, had called him ‘brother’, was willing to fight and possibly die for him. All this time he had thought the collar was the thing weakening Tzacl's resolve, but now it was starting to look like the cause might could be his feelings towards Yarnus.   
  
The Justiciar didn't need his power to know that Tzacl would soon put on his bitter facade, but despite his promise to not pry, he did use his power on Tzacl in a different way. Before the other skeleton could react he threw himself at him, pressing his small body against the taller one.   
He held on tight, determined to not be pushed away again. 

Pressed tightly with your face to his chest, your arms held around his hips and arms, holding him still as much as you possibly can. He doesn't react for a few seconds, few wholesome moments of purity and hope. Then he makes a terrified sound, wheezing and gasping at the same time, and tries to push you away with every last bit of strength he has. It's thank to his collar, keeping his magic, and by extension his strength, down low. He shakes and kicks, but you hold on, until Tzacl finally stops, sooner than you thought he would.   
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!??! LET GO OF ME!!!" His voice isn't sharp and harsh, it's scared and painful and full of uncertainty. "WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?!?!?"   
Feeling his chest rapidly move in your touch with his panicked breathing, you still hold onto him tightly. Only when you're sure he's not going to try to break free again, you look up to see his face. Reddened tears fall on your scalp, Tzacl's eyes wide, his noseholes runny with tears. He just stares down at you, breathing shakily, his soul shivering in his chest like a small terrified bird trapped in a cage.   
Even as he stares at you in question, his heels are pressed tightly against the floor in a futile continuing attempt to get away from you, from this. 

He didn’t loosen his grip, despite part of him wanting to give Tzacl the room he requested, a stronger part wanted to never let go. The pain in his voice and his reaction confused Yarnus. This entire night, and the night before, had been confusing.   
"I dŏn’t wąnt-" A lump caught his words before he could speak. "No. I do wąnt somethįng... I wànt tò know you bettër. I want tô help you. I want tó help your bròther." He released the strong hold, but still held tight to Tzacl’s clothes. "I’m sorry for huggîng... grâbbįng yoŭ. I jüst- I just-" He looked up to meet the tall skeletons eyes. "I didn’t want you to run from mé. I don’t want to lose you āgaĭn." 

Tzacl stares at you, his eyesockets filling with tears. He shuts his eyes tightly, tears falling from his eyes onto your skull, then turns away, his teeth gritted tightly as he fights his crying. After a few suppressed sobs he opens his eyes, but doesn't look your way, breathing heavily. He takes a deeper breath, or at least tires to, before attempting to speak. His first attempt catches in his throat and comes out as a weak whimper. He grits his teeth again, then takes a few more breath before speaking as clear as he can manage.   
"WHY... WHY DO YOU CARE SO MUCH?? I HAVEN'T-" His voice cracks and he swallows before continuing. "I HAVEN'T EVEN SAID ONE FRIENDLY WORD TO YOU..." His breathing gets a bit calmer, so do his sobs. "I WOULD- I WOULD TRADE YOUR LIFE FOR MY BROTHERS ANY DAY. EVEN FOR J-JUST... KNOWING WHERE HE IS." He slums against the wall behind his back a bit, his eyes still averted, dimmer than before. "YOU KNOW THIS WELL, I AM SURE... SO WHY? WHY DO YOU CARE SO MUCH...??"" 

"I dŏn’t- I don’t know. Heh." Yarnus finally released his grip and ran his hands over his skull. "Yöû’vē been ąngry… and sad, and… lying to me sincĕ we’ve met. But-" He pauses to straighten out his clothes. "I’m sure you havė yøur reasons. I don’t believë you hate mé. I- uh- I’m pretty süre of that." A small blush crept across his cheeks as he briefly thought of the kiss.   
"You helped me back in the cåvės. You saved my lifê in Zwezyr. I came tō carê abòut you. As á friend, as a brothër I nėvėr had." He fidgeted with the two braided bands on his wrist wondering if Tzacl would even accept such a silly memento. Probably not in his current state.   
"Yŏú'ré strong and bravē and smart ìn wăys thąt I'm nöt. You'vė beēn so strong fôr sö long løokïng for your bröther. I wänt to help, I wànt tô-" His own soul was trying to beat free of his chest as the words formed in his mouth. "I want tŏ sëe you smîlĕ again, to be trùly happy… with your brother." 

Tzacl looks to you, tears rolling down his cheekbones. It's obvious he's trying desperately to pull himself together, but just can't. His frame shakes and he attempts to také a deep calming breath, but instead he begins to sob even harder. You try to think of someway to comfort him without making him feel uncomfortable and weak, but suddenly he lunges forward and before you know it you're in his hold. His embrace is tight, almost too tight, as he shakes and sobs, tears falling on your back. He just holds on, not saying anything, just crying. 

Only Yarnus lower arms are free and he returns the embrace as best as he can. "It's ŏkay. You deserve to be happy. Sómetimès you need a rest and å cry." Moisture was welling up in his sockets as well. "A góod cry căn make yöū stròngër. Like- lìkē têmpering mĕtal."   
Any more words would be useless at this point so he just ran his hands along Tzacl's side. As tightly as he was held, he was thankful for the armor he wore. Even with the collar dampening magic Tzacl's grip was strong. Woe be to those standing in Tzacl's way when he was unleashed. 

At your words of comfort Tzacl just weeps harder, holding onto you tighter. You imagine that if his collar wasn't dimming his magic he'd squish you to death. It takes a couple minutes of Tzacl's tears and sobs before you finally feel him ease up on you. He slowly stops sobbing, taking deeper breaths, until after another couple minutes he calms down.   
Finally, Tzacl pulls back. His eyesockets are dark and empty, and he seems regretful, ashamed even. He doesn't dare look at you as he pulls back, folding his arms and leaning on the wall at an awkward kneebend.   
He stays silent, sometimes a stray tear rolling down his dark face. You don't know what to say, how to make him understand you don't think any less of him for showing emotion. Searching your mind you advert your eyes to make him less uncomfortable, until his weak voice catches your attention, so unlike his usual yell.   
"PLEASE..." He swallows, still looking away from you, no light in his skull. "DON'T TELL THE OTHERS..." 

"Of coùrsè not." No one needed to know this. War or not, this was something very personal. "No onë needs tõ knŏw what we do in the shâdows." Yarnus crossed his arms to comfort himself mainly.   
"When thîs is óver, when wê all can rest a bīt, I'd likĕ tŏ talk more if you're wīllîng. About yôũr brother, about…" his fingers grazed his mouth, "... ōthėr things." Now was certainly not the time to be discussing matters of the soul.   
"It- it soůndĕd like something wàs gõing ŏn oùtside and thëy were looking fõr you eàrlier. We shóŭld be gettìng ready för whät comes next." Yarnus stepped forward and offered a steady hand for Tzacl to get up out of his odd position. 

A glimmer of his irises awokes in his sockets as he sideeyes your hand, considering. After a moment of hesitation he accepts the gesture and you, more or less, help him get up. He begins to rub at his face to get rid of the remains of his cries, then takes a deep breath and slaps his cheekbones a bit, clearing his throat.   
"IT'S... IT'S QUITE EXHAUSTING HERE... BECAUSE OF THIS," he points to his collar, "AND... JUST, EVERYTHING HERE..." He keeps silent for a moment, looking at you, then raises a hand to smudge a tear from your cheek, trying to appear indifferent and cold while doing so.   
His eyes stay looking a moment onto yours, the inside of his sockets still a bit moist, but only enough for you to notice with your keen eye. He pulls his hands back, and looks as if he's about to say something, his toothy jaws parting and a breath drawing in... but he says nothing.   
Instead he turns away and leaves out the door. You stay a moment, contemplating, then follow.   
The halls are empty of soldiers, all of them probably at the tower. A few women are looking out the doors, covered in little more than mascara, but when they see Tzacl they quickly hide back in their rooms.   
"I SHALL GO BACK TO MY QUARTERS. I SUGGEST YOU DO THE SAME." You turn around to respond but Tzacl is already gone. You stay there, alone and still a bit shaken. Then you go to find the kitchen quarters.   
As you walk through the lonely hallways, sometimes meeting a stray server quickly scrambling around or a confused Horshtockian highblood, you arrive at a hall you've been in before. You walk down it, finally starting to feel like you know where you're going, when a sound from a window startles you. You turn around to see nothing. For a moment you just stare in the direction, until the sound repeats, a light scratching on the wooden window frame. Cautious, you approach the window, and are relieved to see the avian's tail swoosh past it. You look around if anybody is here, then open the window and lean out.   
"Greetings," Ultra whispers with its raspy raven voice. "Where have you been train child? I had lost my sight of you..." It lifts its head the direction of the towers. "It has been done, executed with impunity. We have destroyed not just the tower but its battle machines too. This will give us great advantage in the upcoming battles..." It turns its head to you, blinking upwards with its unfocused eyes. "And it seems the general's son has breathed his last just minutes ago. The whole army quarter is in great pain. Things are going very well..." 

Yarnus is glad the news is good. "I'm not sure whăt plans Máiden had for thē hoůsé aftêr everythïng, būt théy nêed to not destrõy it. Not yet." He heard a light chitter from the avian in the dark. "Thè house sits on something pòssïbly dąngerous. A connectiŏn to the UnderVoĩd." He thought about Wons stuff and the things in cages down in the depths. "There's alsô some things she hąs cônfined that I'm not sure how to rescue just yet. I'll need Cometa’s help I think."   
Yarnus ran his hands over his face. "I wish I could talk to Afnun. I hâve an ĭdeà of how to free Tzacl, bût hē'd have to make a big deàl of removing my collăr to trick Purpŭr intö rēmòving his." 

The beast sniffs at the air cautiously, then shuffles a bit closer, leaning into the window. It listens to your words and cocks its head in curiosity. "Perhaps I can help. What is your plan?" 

"I'm nõt súrē. It would reqùire hėr rëgular close guards to be out öf thė pïctúre so thàt she would need Tzacl to protect her. If she relèased him herself, well… it would be a very fitting wày for her to diè." A deep sigh escaped him as he slumped on the windowsill. "I just wïsh this was all over. I'm tired of lyįng änd bĕing secrētive. It's just nøt… mĕ." His outstretched arm soon felt a feathered head nudged up against it. 

The beast forces its huge maw under your hand, pressing its snout against your chest. "The plan is almost at its finish. The army is ready for Purpur to give in and send her army to the battlefield. It's just a matter of time now..." It licks at you softly, puffing up its soft feathers that tickle your face. "Purpur is very proud, but I suspect she is starting to put things together. The supply routes, the tower, now the general's armada..." It licks at you again, almost as if not even realizing so. Despite what you'd expect its breath smells more like... moss and lichen? "If not her, then that clown she keeps around... I've seen them whispering to her. I don't like their smell." Ultra pulls its lip back to show off both rows of teeth. Even while so close to them, the sharp fangs being less than an inch away from your face, you don't feel threatened. "She might be hesitant... but perhaps you could do something to provoke an attack sooner. If not by her, then by the generals." Its round yellow eye stares at you, blinking from bottom to top. "What do you suppose, train child?" 

Yarnus finds himself absentmindedly petting the large creature. "I think I'll see hōw brēåkfàst goes. If shĕ doësn't plan on making ä move I'll think of something. Although…" he paused looking down at his hands. "The royąl women will probábly demand my attèntion agaįn after breakfāst. I'll eithèr hàve to find a wąy oūt of that or knock them out in order tö do õther thīngs. I doubt Tzăcl will be able to claîm me for anöther tìme."   
Yarnus pulled back from the window and looked around again. "I àm ą littlè wórriēd abòut that clown thïng. It's odd for a Hŏrshtockįăn to pay attention to someone smaller than themselves. Theré's no telling what it is since Purpur has access tö some õf Won’s thïngs." Yarnus shivered as he thought about the box. "I evēn met somēthįng that sounded like what I'd imagïnēd pure ėvîl sounding like." 

Ultra's feathers puff up a bit, its throat vibrating with a deep yet silent growl. "Pure evil you say? That is... quite terrifying." It exhales sharply through its nose. "I wonder if pure evil can fly..." You earn another soft lick, feeling well in the warm embrace of the huge creature. It reminds you of when you used to carry around chickens in your youth, so your sisters could take their eggs. The feathers must work just like a good thick coat in the cold air of the night.   
"Stars know what that creature is," Ultra snarls again. It suddenly raises its head with a small gasp. "Oh my, I almost forgot! I have something for you." You pull back to let Ultra search it's pockets with its snout, then accept the offered piece of paper delicately held in its teeth. It's a bit tattered and not very well folded. "Omega asked me to give you this," Ultra says as it slowly begins to recede out the window. "I shall go now. Be safe..."   
You nod your head at Ultra in a simple goodbye before the creature disappears in the darkness. You close the window, then look at the paper... but decide to wait with it a little. You stash it in your pocket and quickly make your way to the quarters.   
Minutes later you are closing the door behind you, looking around a very silent room. The cooks are all there, including Aghata, but they all seem... shaken. When they notice you, Al smiles weakly and chuckles to let the others know you're there.   
"Well hey, glad to see you Yarnus." The others look to you, but stay silent. It feels as though something terrible has happened... 

His eyes scan the room for clues as to what happened. Of course they would be a bit shook with the explosion and everything but there was something else wasn't there? The realization hit him. Guards had been looking for Tzacl, and possibly for himself. But that couldn't just be it. "I wäs with Tzacl… T-thê guards fõund us after the explosiøn." His bones began to shake. Were they sick, were they in trouble because of him? "W-what happèned?" 

All are silent. After a while, Al raises her head sadly, patting the bed beside her. You sit down and she pets your head softly, every second of silence making you more and more tense.   
"Natasha was executed today," she says quietly, "and..." She sighs deeply, tears appearing in her eyes. "So was the general's kitchen staff..."   
The news hit hard. The whole room makes no sound but silent weeping from Tomeek. Al pets your skull, then puts her arm around you softly. "Even as they were sentenced, none of them said a single word about us. They died for this cause."   
"Threy're hreores... Wer'll burry threm whren we gret the chrance," Aghata nods. The rest remain silent. 

He had a feeling this would happen. The only consolation was the death of Natasha and it was a weak victory. Yarnus bowed his head in mourning for a long pause holding the crumpled note in his fist. "They were the first to fall ānd will be the fírst tō- to bë rĕ-remembèred." Tears begin to fall from his sockets leaving light stains from the goop. "This is war, and wįthòŭt their-" He was having trouble talking as he wiped his face. "Withøut thêm we wøuld have hăd little chänce." He took a few shaky breaths to calm himself as he untwisted Omegas note. His blurry eyes slowly focused on its contents, hoping it was better news. 

You're greeted by a crude drawing of Omega kissing you on the cheek with blue and yellow hearts all around. A note follows, written in bulky letters, the paper a bit greasy and smelling of roasted meat.   
  
hey there lill guy!   
yeneeva said i could probly calm my worried butt by writin ya a lill somethin. masheenka is asleep rn so i got a lill moment to write. it's real hard to take care of the big girl, she keeps trying to find ya n sometimes she almost runs out the door! i keep a close tab on her n give her lots of pets, she's a good girl. can't blame her for wantin to be with you. if i could i'd come right over and knock that purple bitch right in the jaw n then give you a big ol smooch. and then another for tzacl, n then he'd probably knock ME in the jaw, heheh   
the army is trainin hard, there's ringin of armour and weapons all around constantly. maiden seems very nervous, i went out with him to cheer him up a bit, but i ain't sure i helped much. we've had a lill party with the engineers just yesterday, yeneeva keeps talkin about you, almost as much as me. they all hope you're safe and sound and that we'll see ya soon. so do i. i think bout you pretty much constantly, besides thetime i'm chasing masheenka around. hope yer safe. ilu bud <33   
yers truly, omega   
ps: tell somebody to smooch ya for me, heheh   


Tzacl had already taken care of that last part. He lightly chuckled before returning to the solemn atmosphere of the room. Yarnus flips the paper back and forth in his hands before carefully creasing it below the picture. It gives him a small smile while Al looks over to see the drawing. "Oh? Izzat from your boyfr-"   
She's interrupting by the overly loud sound of paper tearing in the silent room. Even Yarnus is startled. "I wäs just trying tō savè the dráwing!" The stress from the last few days was wearing on him already. He held up the half with writing on it. "I wāntĕd to keėp it, but thė notë tąlks aböut stûff goįng òn outside. I don't want it falling into the wrong hånds."   
He didn't want a simple thing to accidentally cause any more deaths. Aghata took the letter from him and skimmed over it before tearing it into equal pieces and handing them out. "Wer’ll kerp yer srecret. Jurst as thery did." Saying that she crumpled her portion and swallowed it. Everyone followed her lead. After a couple of tries even Tomeek managed to down his piece. 

The group of cooks stays silent afterwards, for what feels like hours. There's only little light from a flickering candle light, shining down on the mourning group from the sconce above the door. Outside there's the confused ruckus of the Horshtockian soldiers, still shaken by the attack on the tower. Ultra is right, this outta raise suspicion - first the general's family, now the tower. They must be realizing by now that this is real, that the races they deem inferior are fighting back... but, not knowing all that goes around it, all of Syflay's spies, the battlefield prepared in your favour, their servants soon to be united against them. Even if Purpur finds out now, it'll only slow down her fall, but she'd also take many down with her. Today it was one kitchen. If you make even a single wrong move, next it could be many more slaves, killed if they're lucky, made even more miserable if not...   
You jump a little when Al interrupts your train of thought, gently placing her stumped arm on your shoulder. She apologizes and you smile weakly to make her know you're okay. She smiles back, just as worn and faint, a mere gesture.   
"I know it might not be easy... but we need to sleep. Tomorrow, we'll be given a new Natasha, and she'll only be half as much of a bitch if we're real lucky. Try..." She swallows, trying to keep her breath steady."Try to not think about it. Just rest..."   
The others seem to not have even heard at first. Then, they all silently lay down in their beds, only the shuffling of the thin sheets audible in the room. Al puts out the candle, following the others soon after.   
You lay down as well. In the light of your eyes, you look again at the scribble. You can't smile, but it makes you feel a little better, folding it and putting it under your pillow. Doing as Al said, you try not to think, just counting your breath until you drift to sleep...   
  
The first thing you notice is the flickering, coming even through your closed eyelids. A violent twitch of déjà vu makes you open your eyes to find yourself in your room, except not. All is drained of color. The door is boarded up. The window has blinds, even though it never had blinds before. One wall is replaced by a flickering mass of static.   
The sound of crackling and hissing fills your skull, like rough sand whistling around in spirals. You grab your head and shut your eyes tight, and without opening them you see before you the man. He is sitting down, hunched over, his hands in his pockets. You can't figure out how he even is there, where in the room, what he's sitting on, nothing, he just exists right here before you. The grating sound of static synchronizes with his colourful flickering and he grins wickedly with his shattered teeth. The screeching finally begins to subside, soon replaced by a dull silence, somehow heavy, like deep cold water. He parts his jaws, more and more, until his jaw reaches his neck, but it just continues through. His hinges split with a sickening snap and you can feel horror shaking you up. You know you're asleep. You can feel the thin sheets on your body. But this feels just as real. just as real. just as real. just as real. just as real. just as real. just as real.just as real.just as real.just as real.   
Suddenly you're in the basement again. You cannot move. Your body feels encased and bound, your head held firmly in place in some kind of helmet. Only your arms are free. You try to reach around, feeling the heavy water compressing your chest... or is it slime? Reaching up you feel a bone surface, jaws that don't belong to you. You stare forward as your head is held, bars barely visible through two huge holes in front of your face. When you scale your hands above the jaws, you suddenly see your fingers grasping at the edges of those round... sockets?   
Beyond them, behind the metal bars, you see the jester. He kneels before the metal box, whispering something. You can't hear through the heavy coldness. The jester turns around and you lock eyes. They jump back in shock when they see you. Their face is human, that of a man of age with a dark stubble. But his eyes don't feel human at all.   
You are back in your room. The man, with his jaw still snapped off, blood spattering all over, just as bright and colourchanging. Don't do that. He raises his hand towards you. Don't try to run. He wiggles his finger at you. It can't steal you from me. It's almost comical. Not this time.   
A bright flash blinds you for just a moment, and you find yourself in another room, one of the richly furnished rooms of the House. You see through someone else's eyes. You see hands rummaging through drawers. One is clothed in a red glove, the other is bare. A human hand, with thick nails and scarred skin. Heavy breathing fills your head. The hands search through shelf after shelf, drawer after drawer, through money and jewels and other precious items. Until it finds a piece of paper, at the bottom of the lower right drawer of a dark wood armoire. The breathing stops in a gasp, the hands drawing back in shock. On the paper are three words, one under the other, each in a different handwriting. The hands slowly reach for it, shaking. They slowly take a hold of the photo. They turn it around.   
The flickering static fills out the frame, then seeps out and covers everything, picking up in volume, until it's so loud it's unbearable and you scream in pain at the terrible feeling of it filling your very being.   
  
"Yarnus! Yarnus wake up!"   
You jump up, covered in cold sweat, heaving, your eyes wide. You stare around at all the cooks and Aghata standing above your bed, looking shaken and concerned. Al and Aghata are holding onto you, Aghata patting you reassuringly with her other hand. It seems you woke them up with your screaming.   
"Are you orkray?"   
"Another nightmare?"   
"Have water."   
Tomeek hands you a glass and after catching your breath you take a gulp, the chilling drink refreshing and very welcome. You close your eyes and grab your head as the others sit by, Aghata's hand gently rubbing your back.   
Of all the nightmares, this one has to have been the worst. You are afraid to even imagine what'll come next. The images are still fresh in your head. The three signatures on the photo.   
Null.   
Hollow.   
Shattered.   
What could this all mean? You're a bit too shaken to think straight...   
You take another gulp. The gentle touches of your friends are helping you calm down, ground yourself in this rea- in reality. Billiam opens the window to let cold fresh air and the morning light inside. It seems to be still pretty early. Nobody seems in a hurry anyway, all sitting around you, comforting you.   


Yarnus takes a few more sips of water. Something about all of this feels… like he's been here before, but knowing he hasn't. These nightmares, they're getting clearer almost like they're not nightmares at all. Perhaps he's been getting visions. ‘Watch your head in the head room’ the man’s voice combined with the sight of Maiden’s skull rolling across the dining table in his mind sent a violent chill down his spine. Aghata’s strong arms wrap around him and brings his thoughts back into the room.   
"Yrou wrere screarming in yrour slreep… and yrour eyers-"   
"My heàd!" Yarnus suddenly jolts up and begins to rummage through his jacket pockets. "The hĕad- it's the dinįng- gotta-" He made little sense to the others as he rambled. Finally he found the canister of goop for his eyes. Looking up at the first rays of light he felt a tiny bit of panic knowing they'd be called out soon. If he was lucky this would be the last time he'd have to apply the dark substance to his sockets.   
Sockets. Looking out at the confusing world. Small skeletal fingers grasping at the edges. Formless body unable to move. Just like Masheenka was. What Masheenka was?   
His hands stilled after applying the masking paste. Was Won trying to make his own version of Equilibria? Was the glob of a monster something like Masheenka or the source?   
"Yarnus?" Al spoke up and dragged his attention away from the basement. "It was just a nightmare. Not that life here is any better, but you need to clear your head."   
Yarnus stared at her for a moment before shaking his head. "I dōn't thìnk it wàs a nightmare. I think- I thīnk I'm håving visiŏns. They are getting clĕârer whĭle I'm here." He stood up and straightened out his clothes. "Dō you know if Pûrpur built thįs hoùse, or tōŏk it over from søméone?"   


**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Blizzard Ember](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12901635) by [Tooth](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tooth/pseuds/Tooth)
  * [Somnofeelya](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12134691) by [Jynxtaposition](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jynxtaposition/pseuds/Jynxtaposition)




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